


The Most Room

by theletterdee



Series: Welcome Home - Matthew/Alice Soulmate Marked AU [3]
Category: The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Gen, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-08-05 03:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16360271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theletterdee/pseuds/theletterdee
Summary: Set in the same universe as there's a hunger within these wounded hearts, Alice seeks out someone from her past in Melbourne as life drops an unexpected chance in her lap. This story will run post 5.04 to the end of 5.05 of The Doctor Blake Mysteries





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart." - Winnie the Pooh
> 
> The third installment of Welcome Home, the Matthew Lawson/Alice Harvey soulmate au, is here! This follows Promises to Keep.
> 
> Enjoy! And thank you for reading!

Jean smiled as Alice opened the door to her flat. Her friend returned the smile and stepped back to let Jean inside.

"It's been so long since I've seen your flat, I almost forgot what the inside of it looks like, Alice."

Alice laughed as she put on the kettle while Jean unloaded her basket of the food she brought for tea (including Alice's favorite: shortbread).

"I know the feeling. I've spent so much time over at your house that I almost drove there after work this week instead of here."

Jean grinned, "Now that would set the gossips ablaze."

"It'd be quite scandalous."

"Mm-hm," Jean nodded and prepared both of their cups as Alice warmed the pot and set the tea to steep. "Enjoying your day off, Alice?"

She nodded, "I'm catching up on reading medical journals and other personal reading in between household chores. It's been a nice, quiet day so far."

"That's good to hear."

Alice smiled, but Jean noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes. Pouring both of them a cup of tea, Jean opened her mouth to say something, but closed it with a faint "hm".

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Jean shook her head, but at Alice's expectant head tilt, she sighed. "It's just… when you were talking about today being nice and quiet, you looked a little sad. I was going to ask if everything was alright, but I didn't want to… overstep."

Alice smiled again, the same sad, wistful one as before. "I'm… I don't know how to put it."

"Take your time." Jean took a sip of her tea and watched the pensive pathologist in front of her. Something was bothering Alice, but she wouldn't push. Pushing Alice only made her clam up and Jean never wanted Alice to feel like she couldn't talk to her.

"It… I suppose it started with the Patricia Neville case. We were doing her autopsy and I told Lucien I have a sister."

Jean nodded, she remembered Alice remarking about her younger sister in the past, but never in much detail.

"I don't know where she is," Alice shrugged. "Lucien looked sad at that and I… it's been so long since I've seen Cora that I don't really know how to feel about it all."

"Do you want to find her?"

Alice shrugged again (Jean noted she'd adopted Matthew's one-shouldered half shrug and smiled). "Mac's looking out for her and Matthew put out a few feelers with his contacts, but if Cora doesn't want to be found, she won't. She's a Harvey."

"Stubbornness runs in the family?" Jean quipped, her smile growing wider at Alice's chuckle. "Were the two of you close?"

"Sort of?" Alice sipped at her tea and snagged a piece of shortbread for herself. "I mean, she never made fun of me for being, well… me, and we teased each other much like Lucien and I do, but Cora was much more outgoing than me. Even at the age of ten, she was very sure of herself. I wanted to take her with me the night I ran from our parents, but that was when she started staying away from home as well."

She traced the rim of her teacup and sighed, "I… I guess I feel like I abandoned her to our father's rages. I'd been his target for years since we clashed a lot, and I protected Cora from the brunt of it. I guess I'm worried that if we meet again, she hates me for leaving."

"She might," Jean nodded, "but she also might understand why you left. You were only twelve, Alice, grown far beyond your years  _because_  of what your father did to you. Cora was ten and already staying away, so some part of her knew."

"You think?"

"Mm-hm, I think if you didn't leave when you did, Cora would have been the first to leave. If you two meet again, you'll be able to clear the air."

Alice didn't look like she agreed with everything Jean said, but she nodded slightly. "Did I ever tell you about Temperance?"

Jean blinked at the sudden change of subject. "No, you haven't."

Alice smiled, "I've been thinking about her too."

"Who was she?"

"A… guardian of a sort. I ran from Sydney to Melbourne and had no clue what to do next. Temperance Buchanan found me and took me off the streets. She had a no nonsense attitude and pushed me to be better in my studies. The boarding house she ran in Collingwood wasn't the greatest place to grow up, but I felt safer than I had at my house in Sydney. Her sons were rowdy, but Temperance raised them to respect women. I couldn't say the same for the male boarders in her house, though."

Jean reached out and squeezed Alice's hand as they heard the front door to her flat open. Both of them looked up at Matthew's limping footfalls - slower and heavier than earlier that day - heading in their direction. He peered around the doorway to the kitchen with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry to intrude, ladies."

"Nonsense," Jean answered as Alice stood. "How are you today, Matthew?"

He huffed a sigh, but relaxed under Alice's gentle hand on his arm. "Been better, the leg's hurting more today. I thought I'd take the afternoon and rest. Lucien was muttering about some new experiment for the case when I left, so I figured it'd be quieter here than at yours, Jean."

Jean rolled her eyes fondly at the mention of her husband and his antics. She smiled at Matthew, "I'm not your mother, Matthew, you don't have to explain to me why you prefer Alice's flat to my house."

"And here I was thinking I'd offend your morals."

"My morals have more backbone than you'd think, Matthew Lawson." Jean wagged her finger at him while Alice laughed.

He smiled at his friend and bowed his head in jest. "You've defeated me, Jean Blake. I should probably go while I still have some pride left in me."

Jean's soft laugh was her only response.

"Go lay down," Alice cupped his cheek with her hand, her voice soft as he leaned into the caress. "I'll bring you some tea and painkillers."

Matthew looked over at Jean (who quickly found the bottom of her teacup vastly more interesting than the two of them) and leaned in to softly kiss Alice. "Thank you, sweetheart."

Alice smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek as he left the kitchen for her bedroom. She quickly prepared a cup of tea for him and blushed when she saw Jean's knowing smile. "I'll, uh…"

"Go, go, I'll wait here," Jean shooed her out of the kitchen.

A few minutes passed before Alice came back from her bedroom sans the tea she'd made for Matthew, but Jean noted her lipstick was smudged and hid a smile behind the rim of her cup. She evidently hadn't hidden it well enough as she watched Alice's cheeks turn pink in the quiet of her friend's kitchen. Gently clearing her throat, Jean put her cup down on the saucer before her.

"You don't have to hide in front of me, Alice. I'm happy for you and Matthew."

Alice sighed, "I know you are, Jean. It's still an adjustment for us to be so… open around others. Old habits, I guess."

Jean just smiled and patted Alice's hand. "You were telling me about Collingwood and this Temperance Buchanan who you lived with?"

"I want to find her too, Temperance, I mean," Alice clarified at Jean's raised eyebrows. "I'm sure she's still around Collingwood; I just haven't gone back to look."

"I think you should. Make a long weekend out of it and see if your mentor or Miss Fisher would help you look."

Alice hummed as she refilled their cups, "Mmm, maybe. I'll think on it. Let's talk of something else, Jean. What new craft are you thinking of forcing upon me this week?"

Jean laughed, "I force you to do nothing, Alice, you freely choose to try them. I was thinking we'd start on more complicated embroidery stitches since you've got the basics well in hand by now."

"Are they fun?"

"Definitely." Jean grinned as Alice smiled and got up to retrieve the sewing kit Jean had helped assemble. A year ago, she wouldn't have pictured Alice to be someone excited about sewing, but a year ago she wouldn't have pictured herself friends with Alice in the first place.

Life had a strange way of working out for the best, even if you didn't see it right away. Life, and fate, had brought Lucien to Jean, reconciliation with her past and independent sons, and a warm home with a warmer family in the form of Matthew, Charlie, Mattie, Rose, and Alice. Jean cherished the friendship she had with Alice; it was the one friendship where she felt she could be herself, be free of judgement. Alice never judged, she questioned, but never judged Jean for her past and views. It was refreshingly honest and Jean often walked away from their visits with a new perspective (something she knew Alice experienced too), and she thanked the higher powers that they brought them together.

Alice had blossomed since settling in Ballarat and Jean looked forward to seeing her bloom even more.

* * *

"Have a good time with Jean?" Matthew asked drowsily as she sat on the bed to check on him.

"I was trying to be quiet."

He smiled and pulled her down for a kiss, "You were, I was just dozing."

"Good." Alice pressed a kiss to his forehead and smiled. "I did have a good time with Jean. We had a long talk about Cora and Temperance, where she helped me figure out some of my thoughts on looking for both of them before she taught me some new embroidery stitches."

"Sounds like fun."

Alice nodded, her smile widening as he snaked an arm around her waist. She very much wanted to join him in bed - to have a lazy rest of the afternoon - and judging by his actions, Matthew did as well. A part of her argued that she had things to do around her flat beyond what she did this morning and she couldn't spend the afternoon in bed with Matthew, but the disheveled superintendent wrapped up in her covers looked incredibly inviting.

The sly grin spreading across Matthew's sleepy face told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Are you going to join me?"

She felt her cheeks grow warm and ducked her head when his grin grew wider. "I might…"

"If?"

"If it's worth it."

"If it's  _wor_ -!" He gaped at her, the shock turning to exasperation when Alice started giggling. "That hurts, sweetheart."

"You walked right into it, dearest."

Alice laughed as Matthew pouted; it was fun to tease him. Leaning down to press a kiss to his pout, Alice hummed as he wrapped his arms around her. At the swipe of his tongue across her lips, she drew back.

"I thought your leg was hurting today, Matthew."

"It was," he smoothed his hands up and down her back, "you make it better."

She giggled against his mouth, "Matthew."

"What? It's the truth."

"You're silly," she kissed him and sat up. "Let me clean up and I'll come back."

"So you are going to join me?"

Alice smiled and shrugged, "I did take the day off."

He smiled and she could feel his eyes on her back as she left the bedroom. An afternoon in bed with Matthew might just be what Alice needed.

* * *

Lucien looked up from his work, finally realizing that his companion was quieter than the dead body in between them. That wasn't like Alice.

She had her pen poised over the clipboard in her hands, but her eyes were notably distant - staring unseeing at the chart in front of her.

 _That_  wasn't like Alice at all.

He cleared his throat gently, biting down the fond smile when Alice jumped at the sound.

"Everything alright, Dr. Harvey?"

'I apologize, Dr. Blake. You were saying?" She straightened and readied the pen for his comments.

"I was saying that there looks to be curiously shaped bruising on the man's throat, but I now I want to know if everything's alright with yo-"

"I'm fine," Alice answered brusquely before he even finished his sentence.

"It doesn't  _sound_  fine."

"Dr. Blake," she narrowed her eyes at him over the body.

"Alice," Lucien looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "Is it something with Matthew?"

"What?  _No_." Alice shook her head. "Can we get back to work, please? It's disrespectful to Mr. Dunn."

Holding up his hands in defeat, Lucien nodded. Maybe after the autopsy was finished, he'd get an answer from Alice. She'd opened up to him more since she arrived in Ballarat and he never liked pushing her. Alice would share when she felt comfortable, and not a moment before.

He expertly stitched up Mr. Dunn while Alice labeled the samples for toxicology and finished up the preliminary paperwork. Mr. Dunn seemed to be the unfortunate victim of a crime of passion, judging by the bruising on his throat - Matthew would be looking for their results soon enough, and Lucien had a few theories churning in his brain that he wanted to bounce off his friend.

"Lucien, I'm sorry about before."

Alice's voice made him pause in his stitches and he looked up to see her avoiding his gaze.

"I've had… there's been a lot on my mind lately and I've been preoccupied about it all. That doesn't excuse my behavior, but… I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, Alice, everyone has those kinds of days," Lucien smiled.

She smiled back, "It's… I talked with Jean and Matthew about it, but I want to know what you think."

Lucien put aside his tools and gave her his full attention. "Alright."

Alice took a deep breath and told him everything. She told him of her sister, of her worries should they ever reunite. She told him of her childhood in Collingwood in Temperance's bustling boarding house, of Temperance's rambunctious - but kind - sons, of the lurking men who'd eyed her a little too closely. She told him how she wanted to see if Temperance was still there in Melbourne.

"I reconnected with Mac after all these years," Alice shrugged, "maybe I can find Temperance too."

"I don't see why not, Alice."

"You think I should look for her?"

Lucien nodded, "If that's what you want to do, then I say do it. I… I know what it's like to want to reconnect with a loved one after years apart."

Alice gave him a sad smile, knowing he spoke of his daughter, Li. His heart clenched at the thought of his grown daughter, but ever since his marriage to Jean, their letters were more frequent. He might not ever be as close to his daughter as they were before the war, but at least she kept him updated on her life and the wellbeing of her child.

"So if I take a long weekend soon, you'd manage here in the morgue?"

"Of course," Lucien answered with a grin.

"And stay out of trouble?"

"I always stay out of trouble," he grinned at Alice's fond scoff.

"I wouldn't say that around your wife, Lucien."

"Just let me know when you'd like to go to Melbourne and I'll coordinate with Matthew. Maybe he can get Charlie to assist me on autopsies."

"Or maybe Hobart, that'd be a sight to see."

Lucien laughed at Alice's quip and went back to stitching up Mr. Dunn's body. He could feel Alice watching him, but after working with her for so long, he was used to it.

"Lucien?"

He didn't look up from his work, "Hm?"

"Thank you."

The soft, relieved tone in Alice's voice made him pause again and he looked up to see a small smile on her face.

He smiled back, "Of course, Alice."

With a nod - more to herself than to him - Alice turned back to the paperwork and he returned his attention to Mr. Dunn. Lucien hoped Alice would find this Temperance Buchanan, and he hoped the reunion was a happy one. Whatever the outcome, he'd be there for his friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Alice waited until after the Blakes celebrated their anniversary (a visit to the seaside for a week) to take a long weekend and visit Melbourne. Matthew asked if she wanted him to come along, but Alice needed to try this on her own first.

Mac and Phryne had been wholly supportive in her endeavor to find Temperance Buchanan, insisting that Alice stay at Wardlow instead of a hotel and that she should use whatever resources were available to her.

" _I'm glad you're reaching out, Alice," Mac told her over the phone. "I'll help whatever way I can."_

" _I don't even know if she's still around, to be honest," Alice's fingers twisted in the phone cord as she talked. "I don't know if she even wants to see me, Mac."_

" _Is this Temperance we're still talking about or someone else?"_

_As in her schooling days, Mac cut right to the root of Alice's issue - Alice almost didn't want to give her the satisfaction of being right._

_Almost._

" _Finding Temperance might be a smaller step at finding someone else," she admitted. "Someone who does not want to be found no matter how hard I look."_

_Mac hummed over the line, "You still haven't found Cora." When Alice made a noise of agreement, Mac continued, "You will, Alice, in time. I'm sure she'll turn up eventually… You know that if she pops up here I'll tell you?"_

" _I do, Mac, I know you will," Alice nodded. "Matthew's put out a description of her to some of his contacts, which is more than I've had in years."_

" _Then you'll find her, just have some more patience. Now, what time is your train coming in or are you driving yourself up here?"_

* * *

Collingwood hadn't changed much since her childhood; the streets were still cracked cobblestone, the buildings still worn and stained with time, and the people's faces gaunt. Mac hadn't been happy when Alice refused a companion (Alice didn't want to take anyone away from their work, Phryne just offered Alice the use of her knife or gun… Alice politely refused). She walked the paths of her childhood with ease, her feet taking her along old shortcuts through back alleys and side roads as she searched for the Buchanan boarding house. Skirting the main roads, Alice slipped into an alley that looked familiar and her mood lifted.

"Oi! Get back here!" An angry shout caught Alice's attention and she turned just in time to catch the small child barreling towards her in the alley. Bright blue eyes looked up at her in shock from behind tangled dirty blonde hair as Alice steadied the girl when they collided. The girl looked behind her and Alice noted the angry man running in their direction.

In a split second decision, she pushed the girl behind her - feeling the girl wrap her arms around her leg - as the man approached.

"Move, lady," he spat in Alice's face.

"No."

"That whelp stole food and she's gotta answer for it, now  _move_."

"Is she going to answer to your fists?"

"She stole food!"

"That doesn't deserve a beating!" Alice shouted back. "No, I will  _not_  move just so you can lay your hands on her!"

"I wouldn't steal your food." The girl piped up from behind Alice. "It tastes like yuck!"

He made a grab for the girl, but Alice blocked him, the man growled and grabbed Alice by her arms and pushed her to the side. Pain flared out from her forehead when it hit the alley wall - sharp and throbbing. Alice blinked the stars from her vision and pushed herself upright at the girl's panicked shriek and the sudden removal of her arms around Alice's leg. The man's hand raised to strike the supposed thief and Alice didn't hesitate.

This girl would not end up like her or her sister, Alice vowed. This girl would not know the hot sting of hand upon skin, of the lingering bruises left behind. Alice never liked violence - never used it herself despite Phryne and Mac teaching her self-defense - and so she was just as surprised as the man when her fist collided with his nose.

The effect was immediate; the man let go of the girl to cradle his bleeding nose, Alice's knuckles throbbed, and the girl threw her arms around Alice's waist.

"You- you broke it!" he looked at the two of them in shock, his fingers covered in blood.

Alice worked around the dead for a living, handled fluid samples and blood constantly, but the sight of fresh blood - and the fact that she was the cause behind it - turned her stomach. She bit back the bile rising in her throat as she hid the girl behind her when the man started advancing towards them again.

"You'll pay for that," he snarled.

"I'll do it again if you don't leave us alone." Her voice trembled, but Alice stood tall.

He lunged forward and grabbed Alice by her shirt, pulling her towards him. Blood rushed in Alice's ears and she pushed at the man's chest, but his grip was too strong on her blouse. Her hands scrambled around behind her - her fingers closed around the neck of a bottle on top of a bin and Alice hoped this would work. Steeling herself with a deep breath, Alice swung the bottle at the man's head.

The bottle shattered in a terrific explosion of glass; Alice closed her eyes against the rain of shards and slivers as the man fell, unconscious, to the ground. The strong grip on her remained, it ripped part of the neck of her blouse as she stumbled forward before the hand grew slack and Alice teetered on the balls of her feet before regaining her balance in a hard knock of her knee to the pavement.

She stayed kneeling, her heart racing, and eyed the man lying still in the alley. ' _Is he alive?_ '

Hesitantly, Alice put her fingers against the man's wrist long enough to check for a pulse as the girl wrapped her arms around Alice's neck. Alice smoothed her hair back with a shaking hand and visually checked the girl over for any injuries.

"A-are you alright?" she asked. The girl nodded and they exchanged nervous smiles. Alice stood, the broken bottle neck still in her hand, and the girl resumed her grip around her leg.

' _What now_?' Alice thought as she backed away from the man. Alice had to get out of here; she had to get the girl to safety. Turning away from the man, Alice kept her eyes on him as she coaxed the girl towards the entrance to the alleyway.

"What's going on here?" A voice rang out from the entrance and Alice immediately raised her improvised weapon at them, her heart thudding in her ears.

A man raised his hands in response, "Easy, I'm not going to hurt you. We heard a commotion and I came out to see if anyone needed help."

Alice kept the bottle neck raised as the girl tightened her grip around Alice.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the man repeated. "I'd be daft if I did, seeing what you did to him." He nodded towards the man still lying on the ground behind them.

"I don't like bullies," Alice finally answered him.

He chuckled, "I can see that, ma'am. Could we maybe finish this discussion inside? It'll probably make you and the girl feel better and someone could take a look at you… you're bleeding."

She frowned and gingerly felt the side of her face at the man's gesture towards his own forehead. The cut on her forehead stung and she winced, " _Damn_."

"Your blouse is also ripped."

Alice looked down and sighed, "This was one of my favorites… Mac's going to have a field day with all of this."

The man chuckled again, "Why don't both of you come inside? I'll send Charles out to keep watch over the man you knocked out until the police get here."

Alice looked down at the girl and nodded. "Thank you…?"

"Mark," the man stuck out his hand. Alice dropped the bottle neck and shook the offered hand. "Mark Buchanan."

" _No_ ," Alice looked at him, her head tilted to the side. "It can't be."

Mark Buchanan, the eldest of Temperance's boys, frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't… wait...  _Alice_?"

She nodded in disbelief, her body going rigid when he laughed and embraced her in glee.

"It's been years, Alice! Come, come, let's get you inside and settled. I want to hear all about what you've been up to since you went to university."

With one last look at the man behind them, Alice nodded and followed Mark out of the alleyway in a daze.

The old-fashioned wood carved sign swung in the breeze above the boarding house door, but Alice knew what it said by heart. Buchanan's Boarding hadn't changed at all since Alice's tenure within its walls aside from the fresh coat of paint on the outside. It was the same old building; the steps still creaked as they walked up the front, and the floor groaned under their feet in the entryway as Mark led them into the front parlor.

They passed another man, younger in age than both of them, on the way in. He nodded in a greeting, pausing long enough for Mark to pass on instructions and Alice realized this was Charles, the youngest of of the Buchanan boys.

' _Are they all still here_?' Alice wondered as she and the girl sat on the couch. The child refused to let even an inch of space occur between them and Alice absentmindedly ran her hand over the girl's hair. Mark left and then came back with a square of cloth, which he offered to Alice.

"For the cut," he smiled and motioned to the left side of her forehead. "Want me to call for a doctor?"

She sighed and pressed the cloth to the cut on her forehead. "Please. I'm going to get a lecture regardless from her. Dr. Macmillan usually works with the police so she shouldn't be too hard to reach."

Mark smiled again, "I'll ring her and bring the both of you something to drink while we wait for the police."

Alice nodded and settled back on the couch with another sigh. She rested her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Mac was going to have a field day with all of this, and Alice wasn't looking forward to that particular conversation. The headache pounding behind her eyes wasn't all caused by her head hitting a rough brick wall.

"Your name is Alice?"

The girl's voice startled her; she cracked open her eyes at the soft question and nodded. "What's yours?"

"Anna," the girl whispered. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving me."

Alice felt her cheeks grow warm and she avoided Anna's gaze. "You're… you're welcome, Anna."

Anna smiled and she settled more firmly against Alice's side. Alice remained tense even as Anna got more comfortable. She didn't do well with children; she never had much desire to have any of her own and didn't see the appeal for them like many of her peers did growing up. She didn't do well with them, but no child should have to endure pain at the hand of an adult and that was the reason she'd intervened in Anna's life.

It seemed Anna didn't want to let go of her savior and Alice didn't know what to think about it all.

"You never did follow my advice about learning to pick your battles."

Alice's head snapped up to see an older woman around Mac's age shaking her head with a wry smile as she stood in the doorway. The woman's dark brown hair was streaked with white, the curls fighting her pins, but her hazel eyes were as sharp as ever behind her glasses. Temperance Buchanan entered the parlor, leaning on a wooden cane much like Matthew's, and stopped before Alice and Anna on the couch.

She eyed them both critically; Alice squirmed under the penetrating gaze and her mind flashed back to many a talk in this same parlor after her or one of the boys got into a scuffle at school or on the streets.

"Stop squirming, Alice Harvey, I'm not going to scold you."

"You say that now…" she smiled at Temperance's huff.

"You're a grown adult, my scolding you isn't going to serve much merit." Temperance sat on the couch next to her. "Not that my scolding stopped you or the boys from doing what you thought was right anyways. Thankfully, most of you grew out of physically fighting by the time you were adults."

"Only most?"

"It sounds like you want a scolding, Alice."

Alice's smiled widened when she heard Anna's muffled giggles beside her. Temperance shook her head fondly.

"Tea for the visitors!" Mark announced as he walked into the parlor with a tray. A tall, young police constable followed him. "Mum, I brought you a cup too, I figured you'd come investigating all the noise."

Temperance tutted, but accepted the cup nonetheless. Alice prepared her own (adding an extra spoonful of honey for the hell of it - it had been a long day already), and handed Anna the cup of milk Mark put on the tray for the young girl. The constable pulled out a notebook and cleared his throat.

"Constable Parks, ma'am," he nodded to Alice. "Could you give me a statement on what happened in the alley?"

"Of course, Constable." She sipped at her tea while recounting the events in the alley to him. Alice's hands shook as she remembered the way the man reached for her and Anna, but she curled them around her cup and answered all of the constable's questions. He probed, gently, but efficiently and Alice appreciated it.

"I didn't mean to break his nose… or knock him out, Constable Parks, but I… I just couldn't let him harm Anna. It wasn't right. I'm sorry."

She felt Temperance shift beside her and before the constable could speak, Temperance curled a hand under Alice's chin and gently forced her to look up at her former guardian.

"Don't apologize for sticking up for others, Alice."

"I hurt a man, Temperance."

"In defense of someone else," Temperance's fingers tightened briefly on her jaw before she let go and the older woman smiled. "I'm proud of you."

Alice bit down on her lower lip to stem the tears burning in her eyes. The adrenaline of the situation wore off the longer she sat in the interview and it left Alice shaky and reeling from the day.

"I'm sure everything will come out in favor of you, ma'am," Constable Parks smiled. "From what you and little Miss Anna have told me, it's all in self-defense."

"Thank you, Constable," Alice smiled back as they heard the front door to the boarding house open and close.

" _Where is she? Where's my fellow doctor who can't seem to stay out of trouble?_ " Mac's voice carried through to the parlor and Alice heaved a deep sigh that sent Anna into another storm of giggles at her side.

"I'm in here, Mac!"

Mac stopped short in the doorway and took in the scene. She shook her head at Alice much like Temperance, and set her medical bag down on the coffee table. "Next time you say you're going alone, Alice, I'm ordering Hugh to go with you for the day."

"Mac, no, Inspector Collins has better things to do than follow me around."

"Evidently not when you get into trouble at the drop of a hat."

Alice rolled her eyes and winced when Mac probed the cut on her forehead.

"It doesn't look like it needs many stitches, but I'll give you a bit of gauze after I clean it and stitch you up at Wardlow. Any other injuries of note?"

Alice offered up the knuckles of her left hand, still throbbing whenever she moved them, and Mac looked them over.

"Will I live?" Alice asked.

"With sore knuckles, yes. They don't look fractured, we'll ice them at home and if they continue hurt tomorrow, we'll get x-rays done."

Mac quickly cleaned up the cut while Temperance limped out of the room in search of work in the boarding house. Her mentor smiled, "Looks like you found her, Alice."

Alice hummed an affirmative as Mac cleaned up the blood on Alice's face. "It only took a fight in an alleyway to find her."

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"Thanks to you and Phryne teaching me," Alice quipped. "I just want to go home, though."

Mac smiled, "You will soon. First, you'll have to make a more formal statement at the police station, you and the girl that is. Then I'll take you back to Wardlow. After that we'll discuss you going home."

"What about Anna?"

The girl tightened her grip on Alice's arm, "I'll stay with you."

"That's not how it works, Miss Anna," Parks piped up. "We have to look for your parents and put you in the system while we look."

"No, stay with Alice!"

Alice ran her hand over Anna's tangled hair in an attempt to calm her while Mac looked on in amusement.

Constable Parks tried again. "Mi-"

"I want to stay with Alice, no one else!" Anna insisted and she clung tighter to the pathologist. Alice looked up at her mentor with wide eyes, incredibly out of her depth with a child that only wanted to stay with her.

"Constable," Mac took pity on her former student and gave her a smile. "Let me speak with your boss and we may work out a temporary housing situation that'll please the upper brass, the foster care system and this little lady. In the meantime, Alice and Anna should go to the City South precinct while you finish up here. Unless you have more questions?"

Alice saw the look of relief Parks sent her mentor and smiled.

"No, Doc, that sounds like a solid plan to me. I'll finish taking statements here from witnesses and meet you and the boss back at the station."

"Good."

"Leaving us so soon, Alice?" Temperance popped her head back into the parlor. When Alice floundered for a response, Temperance just smiled. "Rhetorical question, Alice. Come back and see us here, just no fighting in the alleys next time."

Alice detached herself from Anna with and whispered promise that she'd ' _come right back_ ' and rose from the couch to cross the room to her old guardian. Temperance was much shorter than she remembered, and Alice had to stoop farther down than she expected to briefly hug her.

"It was good to see you again, I'll come back and visit."

Temperance squeezed her briefly, "You better, there's a lot to catch up on around here and I want to hear about your adventures as a doctor."

She drew back from the hug and smiled when Temperance held her face in her hands.

"I'm so very proud of you, Alice; I always have been of you and my boys. This girl, Anna, feels safe with you… however long she's with you, keep her feeling that way."

"Lucky me, I had a good teacher in you."

Temperance scoffed lightly, but the smile remained on her face. "You can do better than me. In the very least you know what  _not_  to do with a child."

Alice looked over her shoulder at Anna sitting next to Mac on the couch. Her mentor was distracting the young girl by letting her rifle through the medical bag on the table, explaining each tool Anna pulled out, and answering her many questions.

"Why would she choose me?"

"You saved her life."

"Still... that's not any basis on choosing to stay with someone."

"You stayed with me, Alice, and all I did was run into you on the streets."

"I was also twelve and running from an abusive father, exhausted from days of travel. You made me feel safer than I had my entire life."

"And who's to say you're not that way for Anna? You still have a choice in this, Alice. If you feel like you don't want this, don't feel that you have to suddenly become her new guardian just because she's latched on to you. Take the time to consider your options."

Alice reached down and squeezed Temperance's hand. "I'm just… I don't do well with children, Temperance. I'm too strange."

"She seems to like you the way you are. Take some time to think about all of this and talk to others. You don't have to make a decision right this moment."

Alice nodded. Temperance's words soothed her and gave her much to think about at the same time. Anna had latched on to Alice because of what happened in the alley; who's to say that the glamour of it all wouldn't fade once both of them had calmed down from it all? Could she be happy with Alice, a pathologist who didn't know how to act around children let alone take care of one, or would she grow to hate her in time? Could Alice be the kind of guardian Anna needed, or would she end up like her own parents?

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. First, they needed to file a formal statement with the police. Second, Anna was in need of a good meal and Alice wanted a strong drink for the first time in ages. After all that, maybe they'd figure it out.

"Alice?" Mac's voice drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Mac and Anna ready to leave. "Are you ready to go?"

Alice nodded and smiled back at Temperance one last time.

"If you're going to be here in Melbourne longer, let me know," Temperance smiled back. "If not, stop in for tea the next time you're in the area."

"I will."

Alice joined Mac and Anna at the door; she jumped when Anna immediately grasped her hand and didn't let go, but a supportive look from her mentor soothed some of her frayed nerves over the entire situation. Nodding a goodbye to Mark and Charles (Saul - the middle brother - must have either moved out or was elsewhere during all of this), Alice followed Mac out of the boarding house and into Collingwood.

Anna stayed quiet next to her on the ride to the station, her eyes wide as she took in the sights of Melbourne from the car; Alice was all too familiar with that look - she'd worn a similar one when she first arrived in Melbourne decades ago. She took the time to look at Anna - really look at her - and Alice saw bits of herself in the girl already. The fire in the way the girl spoke, her confidence and stubbornness were much like her own, and Alice's brain transposed a vision of her younger self - all freckles, gangly limbs, and messily braided red hair - over Anna subconsciously. Anna was curious, eagerly drinking in her new surroundings as they drove and Alice had seen the way she pestered Mac with questions back at the Buchanan boarding house. Her quiet nature, the demeanor she settled into when she stopped talking, reminded Alice of Matthew strangely.

Anna's eyes - wide and impossibly blue in their color - paired with sandy blonde, almost brown hair didn't dissuade Alice's train of thought of this girl looking like a certain police superintendent.

Was this what drew her to Anna? Was it because she saw herself in the girl, or that Anna reminded her of Matthew? What would he think of all of this?

As if knowing she thought of him, the scar on her right knee ached and Alice smiled fondly. He was probably chomping at the bit back in Ballarat, wondering what had happened to her, and once they all settled back at Wardlow, Alice vowed to call him - no matter the time.


	3. Chapter 3

Matthew drummed his fingers on the Blake's kitchen table as he stared at the phone - willing it to ring. The movement of his fingers drew his attention to the bruises on his knuckles and the rapid tattoo on the table momentarily stilled. Alice had only been gone a day, and Matthew was certain she couldn't have gotten into trouble within such a short window - she'd proved him wrong. Alice attracted trouble like Lucien, but at least she could hold her own.

"A watched pot never boils, Matthew, that goes the same for a telephone when you're expecting a call."

He looked up as Jean entered from the sunroom. Lucien lounged in the parlor, his eyes on the book in his hand, but Matthew knew he was listening in. Jean gave him a knowing smile and Matthew fought the urge to roll his eyes at her. She meant well, he had to remember that.

"I know, Jean, I just…"

Jean's hand was warm on his shoulder. "She'll call, I'm certain of it."

As if her statement willed it into existence, the blasted device gave out a loud shrill ring, breaking the tension in the Blake household at last. Patting his shoulder, Jean quickly answered it as he stood and Lucien entered from the other room.

"Blake household!" Jean answered cheerfully, a smile spreading across her face as she nodded to the other person on the end. "Of course, he's right here."

Matthew looked at the offered receiver and then back up at Jean. "Is she-?"

"Oh for pity's…" Jean rolled her eyes fondly, "Take it and see for yourself, Matthew. I've dishes to finish."

Matthew took the phone off Jean's hand and vaguely heard her and Lucien bustle around behind him as he put the phone up to his ear. "Alice?"

A relieved sigh crackled down the line, " _Matthew._ "

"Everything alright?"

She laughed and he smiled even when he heard her sniffle on the other end. " _I'm not sure 'alright' is the correct word for all of this._ "

"Walk me through it then."

He listened as Alice told him everything: searching for Temperance Buchanan, running into the little girl, the fight and her injuries, and stumbling across her old guardian in the thick of it all.

" _And now we're both back at Phryne's house. Anna's been given a bath and fed a proper meal; she refused to go to bed until I went up with her, Matthew. I just… I don't know._ "

"She likes you, sweetheart."

" _That's something I'm still unsure about._ " Alice sighed and her exhaustion was palpable through the phone. " _There's just so much to think about and I should have let you come with me in the first place. Maybe I wouldn't be in this situation if you were. I wish you were here._ "

"I could be."

" _You'd really come all the way up to Melbourne just because I asked?_ "

"Yeah, sweetheart, I would. You've had a troublesome day… if it makes you feel better that I come up, I will. I know Lucien wouldn't mind driving me."

"If you're going up to Melbourne to see Alice with Lucien, I'm coming too!" Jean's voice rang out from the parlor and Matthew grinned at Alice's soft laughter over the phone.

"You heard that?"

" _I did_ ," Alice hummed. " _So… should I tell Phryne to expect three more guests?_ "

Matthew looked up to see the Blakes waiting in the doorway, expectant looks on their faces and he smiled. "Yeah, we'll see you in a couple of hours."

" _Thank you, Matthew._ "

He waited until Lucien and Jean left before he answered. "Of course. I love you."

" _I love you too_."

With a smile, Matthew waited until Alice hung up before he limped from the kitchen to pack for the unexpected trip to Melbourne.

* * *

 

Lucien expertly wove them through the light traffic in Melbourne as Matthew gave him directions from the passenger seat. He could hear Jean fretting about Alice under her breath in the backseat and he smiled at his wife's heart for their mutual friend. Matthew hadn't given them much detail as to what happened with Alice, nor did he give an explanation as to why a cut and bruises appeared on his forehead - followed quickly by bruised knuckles on his left hand - during the day earlier.

" _Alice will explain everything when we get there." Matthew shrugged when they both waited in the hallway after the phone call. "Now, can we please get to Melbourne without breaking any speeding laws?"_

" _Fat chance with Lucien driving," Jean teased; she smiled at her husband as Lucien looked at her in mock outrage._

"It's just here up on the right, Lucien."

Matthew pointed out a tall white house with bright red wrought-iron railing and details that dominated the corner in a well-to-do neighborhood. Lucien was positive Alice told him she grew up in the Collingwood slums, not here.

"Alice's friends are fairly, uh…"

Matthew raised an eyebrow at him (in a way that eerily reminded Lucien of his wife) and waited to see what would come out of Lucien's mouth.

"...Connected?" Lucien tried with a smile. Jean snickered in the back seat and his cheeks grew warm the longer Matthew stared at him.

His friend took pity on him and laughed. "The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is titled, has some land back in England from what Alice told me. Her family came into it during the Great War; before that, Miss Fisher lived in Collingwood. Miss Fisher uses her position to help those who might be overlooked otherwise. She's the reason Alice could afford university in the first place with her scholarship."

"Huh."

"Come on, Lucien, I want to see if Alice is alright." His wife opened the back door and she was already opening Matthew's door by the time Lucien followed suit. He saw to their suitcases as Jean helped their friend stand from the car.

Idly, Lucien noted that there was a time not that long ago that Matthew would have refused the help and he smiled at how far Matthew had come since the accident.

The lights were still on in the downstairs of the house and as they drew closer to the door, Lucien could make out quiet conversation inside. Jean knocked on the door for all of them and a woman about their age answered it with a smile.

"You must be Alice's friends! I'm Jane Ross, please come in."

Jane opened the door further and they all milled into the entryway of a tastefully decorated art deco house. A young butler took the cases off Lucien's hands and quickly moved them upstairs as Jane greeted them all.

"Matthew, good to see you again."

Lucien looked to his friend in surprise, his wife's eyebrows rose as well.

Matthew smiled at Jane and chuckled when he saw the looks aimed at him. "What, did you think I was completely cut off from socializing during my recovery?"

"Ah…"

"You don't have to actually answer, Lucien."

"Lawson, stop teasing the guests."

Lucien looked behind him to see an older man leaning against the door of the parlor. His brown hair - almost as curly as Charlie's by the amount of product in it - had mostly turned gray, with some white sneaking in around the temples. He looked stern, but Lucien caught the mischief glimmering in the man's blue eyes behind the gold-rimmed reading glasses. The man folded the newspaper in his hands.

"Jack Robinson," he said with a slight smile.

"Lucien Blake," he shook Jack's hand with a smile. "And this is my wife, Jean."

"A pleasure meeting you both, we've heard so much about you."

"All good I hope."

Jean swatted at his side, "Lucien."

The other door to the the parlor opened with a flourish and a well-dressed woman slipped her arm through Jack's with a smile. She looked around Jack's age, but her stylishly short hair was still completely jet black (Lucien had a sneaky suspicion she dyed it much like Agnes Clasby). He could hear someone else talking in the parlor behind her and Jack.

"There you are, my darling! I see the party moved out here. Mrs. Blake, it's good to see you again."

Jean smiled, "And you as well, Miss Fisher. This is my husband and Alice's coworker, Dr. Lucien Blake. Lucien, this is the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher."

"Nice to finally meet you, Dr. Blake," Phryne stuck out her hand and shook Lucien's firmly with a radiant smile.

"Likewise, Miss Fisher. Is Alice alright?"

Phryne gestured to the parlor behind her, "She's had quite a day, but I'll let you talk to her yourself."

Phryne led them all into the parlor. Alice sat on an elegant chaise lounge, wrapped up in one of Matthew's cardigans - her face devoid of makeup - as she idly sipped from a crystal glass with a couple of fingers of whiskey poured into it; she flinched every time another woman (dressed in men's clothing) gently prodded and cleaned some scrapes on her knees.

"Will you stop twitching? Honestly, you're as bad as a child getting their first vaccination shots if I have to sit on your feet to get you to stay still for this."

"It  _hurts_ , Mac."

The woman Alice called 'Mac' tutted as she finally stood up. "That means it's working. Come, say hello to your friends."

Jean reached Alice first, pulling her into a hug before Alice could fully stand.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

Alice smiled as she stumbled to a stand in Jean's arms (Mac quickly took the whiskey off Alice's hands). "I'm okay, Jean, it looks worse than it is."

"You shouldn't be looking like this at all! Lucien, tell her."

Alice smiled and let Jean pull her towards Lucien. He smiled at his friend and coworker, even as he visually inspected the bruises and cut on her forehead. She allowed him to tilt her head to the side so he could see the line of neat stitches.

"What happened, Alice?" He asked gently.

"Got into a fight."

"How's the other guy look? Worse than you?" Lucien smiled when Alice nodded. "Remind me not to cross you."

" _Lucien_ ," Jean frowned. "Don't encourage her."

"She doesn't need encouraging, Jean, it's evident she gets into trouble all by herself."

Jean just narrowed her eyes at Lucien as she hugged Alice. "I'm glad you're alright, Alice. But no more fighting, please, you gave us a fright."

"I'll try, Jean."

Jean let her go with one last hug and Lucien pressed a soft kiss to Alice's cheek as she stepped past him towards Matthew.

(The tips of Alice's ears flushed a light pink and Lucien smiled; it wasn't every day that Alice accepted physical acts of affection from him - she seemed just as surprised by it as he.)

Matthew drew her into his arms as soon as she was close enough. She slumped into his embrace and the two of them teetered a bit before Matthew steadied them.

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I haven't gotten bruises on my knuckles from you in a long time… I was starting to think you'd gone soft on me."

"I'll show you soft."

Lucien barely caught Alice's muttered retort and he grinned at his friends' banter. They were good for each other.

* * *

 

Alice buried her face in the crook of Matthew's neck and he smoothed his hand up and down her back while the others interacted behind them. She was thankful for Phryne as the lady detective struck up a conversation with the Blakes to give her and Matthew some privacy.

"I've got you, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere." Matthew whispered to her.

She wrapped her arms around his waist under his jacket and inhaled deeply - simultaneously calmed by his familiar scent and warmth while trying to stave off tears of exhaustion.

"I'm glad you're here."

He kissed the crown of her head and held her closer when she curled her fingers in the back of his sweater. "Ready to go to bed?"

"Oh, God, yes," she sighed, smiling when Matthew chuckled.

"Good, you look about dead on your feet."

"I feel it."

"C'mon then, let's get you upstairs."

Alice nodded and drew back from the comfort of his arms. They bid goodnight to all those gathered in Phryne's parlor (Mac giving her one more look over before promising to come back tomorrow for breakfast) and Alice led Matthew upstairs to her guest room. They could hear Jean and Lucien talking animatedly with Phryne, Jack, and Jane before Alice closed to the door and they were left in silence.

Matthew leaned up against the baseboard of the bed with a sigh. Alice twisted her hands in front of her as he scrubbed at his face with his hands. Now that they were alone, Alice wondered how he really felt about all of this - how he really felt about her actions. Her fingers wove knots that mirrored the knots under her ribcage as she waited for him to speak. As if feeling her eyes on him, Matthew looked up with a smile and opened his arms.

"C'mere," he said softly.

Alice didn't hesitate; she untangled her fingers and slid her arms around his neck as she leaned into his embrace. The warmth of his hands on her back through his cardigan lessened some of the tension in her shoulders and she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and shoulders as he nuzzled her neck.

"I'm proud of you, y'know," he murmured into her hair. "Not many people would've stepped in for a child in trouble."

"Even if I broke a man's nose to protect her?"

"You broke it?" At Alice's affirmative noise, Matthew pressed a kiss to her neck - smiling when she squirmed. "Then I'm doubly proud of you."

She laughed, "You are a silly man."

Matthew drew back and cupped her face in his hands. He pressed a kiss to her forehead - right next to the cut - before he gently kissed her. Alice melted into the kiss, soaking in every bit of comfort Matthew gave her.

He pressed another soft kiss to her lips. "Just try not to get into fights very often, sweetheart, I don't like seeing you hurt."

"So, 'go soft'?"

* * *

 

Matthew smiled. "You'll still be more than able to threaten people with sharp implements, Dr. Harvey." His smile grew when she laughed. "I'm just saying to be more careful. I like having you around."

He expected a teasing retort, but Alice simply hummed quietly. Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed lightly.

"Sweetheart?"

"I… I was so scared in that alleyway, Matthew," she worried her bottom lip and Matthew briefly felt a hotspot flare up in his own mouth before she stopped. "I mean, when I broke his nose, I was livid, angry that someone would do that to a child… but after, when he grabbed me…"

Matthew reached out and fingered the still torn and bloodied blouse Alice wore; he clenched his jaw in an effort to hide how his fingers shook. "He grabbed you?"

"My blouse…" She ran a hand through her hair, wincing when it pulled near the cut and he felt an echo of the pain on his own forehead. "Matthew, I was just… I was scared, I had a small girl clinging to me for life, and a brute of a man pulling me towards him by my blouse and I couldn't think straight. I was just so  _scared_  because I didn't know what to do a-and I didn't know if what I did would make things worse. I just…"

Tears fell down Alice's cheeks and dripped from her chin onto the blouse, but Alice didn't seem to notice them. Matthew gently wiped them away; her lower lip trembled and at the touch of his fingers on her cheeks, her composure finally crumpled. He pulled her to him as she let out a heaving sob and cried into his shoulder - finally laying down the mask and walls she'd put up around everyone else. His hands smoothed over her back as she cried in his arms. He held her tight, even after the tears slowed to a stop and she stopped gasping for breath.

"Feel better?"

"A little," she sniffed and drew back.

Matthew gently wiped away her tears and offered her a handkerchief to blow her nose. Her eyes were a little swollen, a little red, and the end of her nose was pink, but she still looked lovely to him.

"What can I do for you?"

Alice shrugged - her hands twisting his handkerchief around her fingers as she frowned. She drew back from him and started pacing in front of him. Her bare feet barely made a sound on the carpet as she walked; the fabric of her skirts made more noise than either of them as Matthew watched Alice work out what she wanted to say.

"I… I just don't know, Matthew. Anna… Anna for some reason wants  _me_  to take care of her - she made that very clear at Temperance's boarding house and later here when we got her to be put under Phryne's care in the foster system. She refuses to go anywhere else."

Matthew raised his eyebrows, this Anna seemed like a plucky little girl.

"I don't know why she'd want me. I don't know how to raise a kid, and… what if she grows to hate me, Matthew? What if I'm too strange for her? I don't even have enough room for her at my flat; it has one bedroom! Who's going to let a little girl live with a pathologist who doesn't have an extra room for her?"

"Hey, hey, hey, come here," Matthew leaned forward and caught her wrist gently. She didn't resist when he pulled her into his arms. "There's a lot to figure out, but we'll figure it out together, Alice."

"I don't know how to  _be_  a mother, Matthew."

"From what you've told me, Anna isn't looking for a mother, she's looking for someone who makes her feels safe. She's found that in you, sweetheart, all she wants is you to be yourself."

Alice snorted in disbelief, "Nobody wants me to be myself."

Matthew lightly tickled her sides and felt her smile against his neck. "I do, I always do."

"Charmer," she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But…"

"What?"

"What… what if…" Alice let out a frustrated sigh as she played with the front of his sweater.

Matthew pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You've got to let me know what's going on in that pretty brain of yours, sweetheart."

"I know, I'm just… trying to figure out how to say it."

He pressed another kiss to her forehead, "Take your time."

"What if… what if I end up like my parents?" she asked in a small voice.

"That won't happen," Matthew kissed her gently. His hands settled on her lower back, right above the scars given to her by her father years ago. "That won't happen, sweetheart."

"I didn't know you can see the future, Chief Superintendent."

He grinned against her lips and kissed her again. "Teasing aside, Doctor Harvey, you're not going to end up like your parents."

"How do you know?"

Matthew brought her bruised knuckles up to his mouth and peppered them with kisses until Alice giggled softly. "Because of these, because you put yourself in harm's way to  _protect_  Anna… because you know what it's like to fear your own parents. Because of that, I know you'd never raise a hand to Anna or any other child that comes into your life, sweetheart."

Alice sniffled, a few more tears falling down her cheeks as she leaned her forehead against Matthew's. "You have a way with words, dearest."

"If it makes you feel better, I'll perform monologues."

She laughed, "I don't think that'll be necessary, but thank you."

"Just let me know," he kissed her softly. "Now, we should probably get to bed."

Alice protested, "There's so much to discuss."

"You've had a hell of a day, sweetheart; it can wait until you've had some rest."

"I suppose you're right."

"We've got time, Alice. Everything can wait a night. If you want to talk, we can talk in bed, but let's at least lie down."

She sighed and nodded, "Alright."

"Good," he pressed a kiss to her forehead next to the cut. "Let me help you out of those clothes."

"I thought we were just sleeping, Matthew."

"We are," he tickled her sides - grinning at her laughter. "But I'd like to inspect the damage to your body for myself."

She cupped his face in her hands, "Will it make  _you_  feel better?"

"Yes. I know you can take care of yourse-"

Alice interrupted him with a kiss, "If it makes you feel better, Matthew, go ahead."

He smiled against her lips and kissed her back. "Thank you, sweetheart."

She stood quietly as Matthew slowly undressed her in their guest room. His hands were gentle; first lifting his cardigan up off of her shoulders and draping it over the foot of the bed before he turned his attention to her torn blouse. His fingers worked nimbly - unbuttoning it and pulling it from her skirt - before letting it drift to the ground at their feet.

Alice shivered slightly in the cool air, but she smiled when he wrapped his arms around her. He smoothed his hands up and down her back, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Did you get hurt anywhere besides your forehead and knuckles?"

"I'm surprised you didn't feel it," Alice kissed his cheek with a smile. "My shoulder - from the wall."

Matthew nodded and spotted the darkening bruise to her left shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Trailing a line of kisses down her neck to the bruise, Matthew pressed a featherlight kiss to it.

"Are you going to kiss all of my bruises?"

"Haven't you ever heard of ' _kiss it and make it feel better'_ , Doctor Harvey? There's sound scientific research that supports it."

Alice laughed, "You'll have to show me your sources, Chief Superintendent Lawson, I'm not sure they're accurate."

"Then I'll just have to show you."

He pressed another kiss to the bruise, followed by one to her lips. "I'm glad you're alright, Alice."

"Mm, I  _did_  fair better than the man. It could have been a lot worse."

He kissed her again, "Yes, it could have."

Alice ran her fingers through his hair, "I'm safe now, dearest."

Matthew nodded, his hands curling in her slip as Alice kissed him.

"I'm  _safe_ ," she emphasized. "I promise to be more careful in the future."

"That's all I ask."

Alice kissed him again and Matthew continued his inspection of her. Her clothes dropped to the floor, and her hands weren't idle either. For every piece of clothing Matthew removed, Alice returned the favor. She smiled when he pressed a kiss to her sternum as he buttoned up her pajama top (the one she'd  _borrowed_  months ago).

"There," he declared with a soft smile.

"There," she echoed. "Everything to your liking?"

Matthew nodded as he pulled on his own set of pajamas (she helped him button up the top), "A few more bruises than I'd like, but everything is in working order."

"Silly man," Alice shook her head with a smile. "Let's go to bed."

She cleaned up their clothes - folding them and putting them on the chair by their suitcases - as he turned down the covers on the bed and slid in. Alice clicked off the light switch and joined him in the bed; she slid closer to him under the covers and wriggled one of her legs in between his as she tucked her head under his chin. Matthew smiled into her hair and wrapped his arms around her - their legs tangling even further as they settled in the dark silence of the guest room. Alice threw an arm over his waist, pulling him as close as he possibly could get to her - seeking the comfort of his warmth, and Matthew pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Sleep, sweetheart, I'm right here."

She hummed, "Love you."

"Love you too."

Alice's breaths evened out before his response was done and he smiled into her hair. There was a lot to think about and a lot to talk about regarding the girl, Anna, and her living arrangements, but for right now, sleep was the thing Alice needed most. He smoothed his hands up and down her back as she snuffled in her sleep and he took comfort in the fact she was here in his arms.

She was here, she was alive, she was  _safe_. And that's all that mattered to him.

Pressing another kiss to the top of Alice's head, Matthew closed his eyes to join her in sleep. Everything would look better in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice woke with a start to soft tapping on the back of her hand. Blinking in the low light of their guest room at Wardlow, the events of the previous day flooded her brain and she sighed. Matthew's arm was a warm comfort around her waist and she leaned back against his body - drawing strength from his softly snoring form as she sought out whatever disturbed her from sleep.

"Alice?" the quiet voice of Anna directed her attention to the edge of the bed. The young girl she'd saved in the alleyway outside Temperance's boarding house stood next to the bed - the small stuffed bear (a gift from Dot Collins) clutched in her hand, her petite form nearly dwarfed by the worn button up shirt (formerly Jack's) that was Anna's makeshift nightgown.

"What is it, Anna?" Alice whispered as she rubbed at her eyes, wincing when the grit in them burned.

"Bad dream."

Alice nodded and shifted on the bed. She wondered what Jean would do in this situation and the doubts from yesterday flared up in her mind; Alice had little clue what to do with children, but Anna had chosen to come to her after a bad dream. Jean or Lucien probably would have comforted the girl with words, however, Alice's mind drew a blank on what to say. Thinking back on her childhood and comforting her sister, Alice nodded again to herself. She didn't know what to say, but she had an idea on what to do.

Lifting the bed covers without disturbing Matthew behind her, Alice whispered, "Come on up."

Anna scrambled up onto the bed and underneath the covers - using Alice's hands to pull herself up when her knees caught in the long shirt; she tucked herself under Alice's chin, grasping at Alice's pajama top as Alice resituated the covers around them - the stuffed bear squished between their bodies. Alice froze when she felt Anna curl up against her, and only relaxed slightly when Anna settled.

"Feel better?" Alice asked quietly, her arms circling around the small girl hesitantly as she ran her fingers through Anna's dark blonde hair - much like she'd done to her sister when Cora had nightmares growing up.

Anna nodded against her shoulder, "Who's that man?"

"Hm? Oh," Alice blushed in the darkness even though Anna couldn't see it. "That's Matthew Lawson. He's a police officer like Inspector Hugh Collins."

"Is he a good guy?"

"The very best."

Anna was quiet for some time, her small body relaxing further in Alice's arms as she was lulled back to sleep by Alice's fingers in her hair.

"I like him," she whispered. "He snores."

Smiling into Anna's hair, Alice closed her eyes. "Yes, he does, Anna. Let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

Anna's breathing evened out soon, but Alice continued to trail her fingers through the girl's hair - marveling at how soft it was after the bath (still faintly smelling of the lemons and shampoo Dot used to get the worst of the grime out). She was still unsure about potentially caring for the child asleep in her arms - her own sister had only been two years younger than her, and while Alice had comforted and protected her sister to the best of her ability, she'd never been the primary caretaker for a child since.

(Oh sure, Temperance had given birth to her youngest, Charles, a year or so before Alice arrived at the boarding house, but she'd held him rarely and was not left in charge of him very often. If she was, Mark and Saul were always with her to take over in case she was needed elsewhere in the house.)

Temperance pushed her eldest - Mark and Alice - to focus on their studies, to hopefully use them as a way to get out of the slums. Once Charles was old enough, he tottered after his mother or Saul, leaving the elder Buchanan/Harvey children free to study - or work more outside of the house, in Mark's case.

Alice couldn't even look back on her own mother for guidance - other than what  _not_  to do to Anna. Alice's mother loved a brutal man and stayed with him even when he raised a hand to his own flesh and blood. That, in Alice's eyes, was unforgivable. Children should never have to fear their parents; children shouldn't have to run away from all they know just to be safe.

Anna shifted in her arms and Alice soothed her back to sleep with a shaking hand on the girl's back. There was still a great deal to discuss about Anna and about her wanting Alice to be her guardian, but thinking back to Temperance's words (and Matthew's), all the girl needed was a safe place. Alice found that in Temperance Buchanan, maybe she could be the person  _she_  needed when growing up for Anna. Maybe, just maybe, Alice could see herself as that for this girl.

There would be a steep learning curve, for both of them, but Alice wouldn't be alone in this. She'd have Matthew and the Blakes to help in Ballarat, and Mac was always a phone call away. Biting her lower lip, Alice sighed. There was a lot to figure out still, but Anna  _wanted_ her - chose  _her_ , Alice Harvey, seen as too cold, too aloof, too strange. For whatever reason, Anna wanted her and Alice didn't know what to make of it.

' _The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,_ ' an old saying sprang to mind as Alice smoothed a hand over Anna's hair. It was a saying that life had proven correct again and again. The bonds she shared with her found family, both in Melbourne and in Ballarat, were far closer and vastly more sustaining than the smoldering ruins of her blood related family.

She'd chosen these bonds - cultivated relationships with people who actually cared for her and helped her grow - and renounced her family back in Sydney, much like Anna did yesterday. The decision to leave her life behind had ultimately been the best decision Alice made… maybe this was that same pivotal choice Anna faced and the small girl had taken that chance at a better life gladly with both hands.

Fate had brought Alice and Matthew together through the marking, perhaps a similar force to the one behind their bond was behind this series of events that'd brought Anna to Alice. It was tough to see the bigger picture and Alice was unsure.

Sighing, Alice settled back against Matthew - her arms tightening subconsciously around Anna - and willed her thoughts to quiet long enough for her to get some sleep. Perhaps it would all look better in the morning. Perhaps she'd be able to paint a clearer picture with the help of her friends and loved ones. And perhaps… perhaps her found family had enough room for one more in the ranks.

* * *

He woke to an aching shoulder and a lot less of the covers than he had when they went to sleep last night. Shifting slightly, Matthew opened his eyes to the sunlit room and he smiled at Alice sleeping soundly next to him - his arm still under her neck. She'd turned onto her back at some point in the night, one of her arms wrapped protectively around a small blonde girl curled up against her side - a stuffed bear lying on the pillow next to Alice's head. Sunlight crept across the bed, warming his back as he watched Alice and the girl sleep; Matthew gently stroked Alice's cheek with the back of his hand, pressing a kiss to her temple when she stirred.

Matthew never got tired of watching Alice wake up. First, she frowned, a little crease appeared between her brows as she shifted around in the bed. Then, she wrinkled her nose and hummed in the back of her throat. When he heard the sudden deep breath followed by a faint groan, Matthew knew she was awake.

"Morning, sweetheart," he whispered as he pressed another kiss to her temple.

Alice's hand came up to cup his cheek and she sighed. "G'morning…"

"Sleep well?"

She nodded, her eyes still closed against the early morning light. "You?"

"My shoulder aches a bit, but that happens when you sleep on it all night."

She let out a low chuckle, "Sorry."

"Don't be," Matthew kissed her cheek. He smiled when her hand curled around his chin and pulled him in for a proper kiss. He kissed her gently, drinking in her warmth and the softness of her lips - her fingertips scratching against his stubble as they dug into his jaw.

"Someone's in need of a shave," Alice teased.

Matthew smiled, "I'd have to get up for that."

Her hand drifted down to the collar of his pajama top and held firm, "No, not yet, please."

He smiled again and trailed a chain of kisses from her forehead down her cheek (still puffy from sleep) to the corner of her mouth. "I see we got a visitor in the night."

"Mm?" Alice yawned and rubbed at her eyes.

"We have a visitor," he nodded to the girl in Alice's arms as Alice blearily opened her eyes.

She followed his line of vision and quirked a small smile. "She had a bad dream."

"What about?"

Alice shrugged, "I don't know, she hasn't told me and I didn't think to ask." She gave him a worried look, "Was I supposed to ask?"

Matthew kissed her cheek, "Not always, sweetheart. Sometimes it's enough to let them know they can come to you for comfort, at least in my little experience with Rose growing up. She'll tell you in her own time what the dream was about."

"I just… I don't want to mess this up."

"Unfortunately children don't come with instructions on how to raise them." He smiled when she chuckled. "There will be missteps, but I'm sure it'll work out in the end. I take it you're reconsidering guardianship of Anna?"

"I'm still not sure… but then again, I don't know if I'll ever be sure."

"You've got time, Alice, no decisions have to be made today."

"I know," Alice nodded. "And thank you, Matthew, for being here and being patient with everything. I know this is all unexpected."

Matthew smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're Dr. Alice Harvey, at this point I expect the unexpected."

"You do, do you?"

"Mm-hm," he nodded. "Lucky for you, I've had a lot of practice with Lucien."

Alice covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her giggles, "You're incorrigible."

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, Matthew smiled. "Ah, you love it."

Alice just shook her head fondly in response.

"As lovely as this is, sweetheart, I think my arm's going numb."

With a smile, Alice lifted her head so Matthew could slip his arm out from under her neck. "Better?"

He sat up, flexing his hand to get the feeling back in the extremity. "Time will tell. How are your battle wounds feeling?"

That earned him a half-hearted swat to his side, "They're not battle wounds, Matthew."

"You earned them in a fight," he dropped a kiss to her forehead, "so they're battle wounds."

"Silly man." Alice smiled. "They're fine; they don't even hurt aside from a slight headache. My eyes feel a little sore from crying yesterday, but I'm sure that'll pass."

"Good."

Kissing her forehead once more, Matthew swung his feet out from under the covers and grabbed his cane. Standing with a little bit of groaning, Matthew smiled down at Alice. "I'll be right back, need anything?"

"Could you hand me my book?" She gestured to the bedside table with a faint yawn and slowly sat up without disturbing Anna.

Matthew passed it over with a kiss. "Anything else?"

"If someone's down in the kitchen already, a bit of tea would be nice."

"If Mrs. Collins is up, I'll see if she can deliver a tray up here for us before breakfast." He pressed another kiss to her forehead, followed by one on the lips, and she smiled in return.

"Thank you, dearest."

* * *

She watched him shrug on his robe before he limped out of the guest room with a fond smile. The door closed with a faint ' _snick_!' and Alice flipped the book open to where she left off a few days ago. Resting it on her knees, she settled back against the pillows and dove into her novel.

She hadn't gotten very far into it when Anna stirred next to her. Alice smoothed a hand over the girl's hair - silently comforting her - as Anna slowly woke. Blinking in the sunlit room, Anna sat up and rubbed at her eyes. Alice bit down on her lower lip to stop a laugh when the girl nearly fell back down into the spot she'd just vacated with an enormous yawn.

"Good morning, Anna," she smiled and put her book to the side. The girl turned to her - bright blue eyes clouded with sleep and confusion. Anna gave out a small grunt, like her mind hadn't fully caught up, and Alice thought she looked (and sounded) like a certain grumpy superintendent in the mornings.

"How… are you feeling?" Alice asked hesitantly. (How did one talk to a child? She'd have to ask Jean.)

"Sleepy." Anna yawned again and Alice hid one of her own behind a hand. "You too?"

"I must be," Alice smiled. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Anna blinked slowly and then nodded. "Bad dream. You let me stay."

"I did."

"Thank you."

Alice tilted her head to the side, "Why are you thanking me?"

Anna looked down, her blonde hair falling forward over her small shoulders. "Matron always sent me away if I woke up at night."

"Matron?"

Anna nodded, "At the orphanage."

"Was she not nice?"

Anna shook her head, "Not like you, Alice."

"Well…" Alice bit on her lower lip as she considered her next words. "...I'll never send you away if you have a bad dream."

"Really?" she looked up with wide eyes and Alice's heart clenched in her chest. She was so  _young_  to be like this already, and Alice wanted to help change that; she just didn't know how.

Alice nodded, "Really. Do you… do you want to talk about it?"

Anna scooted closer to Alice on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She rocked back and forth slowly as she thought.

(Alice didn't push, Anna would talk when she was ready just like Matthew said)

"You sent me back in my dream… to the orphanage. You and Miss Fisher. Said you didn't want a runt like me getting in the way."

Alice ran a hand over Anna's hair, smiling softly when the girl leaned into the gesture. "That is a bad dream to have… and I will try to not let that dream happen, Anna."

"Swear?"

Alice held out her pinky finger - recalling moments in her childhood where she promised her sister with the same kind of swear. Anna linked her pinky with Alice's and Alice shook it gently. "I swear."

Anna smiled and Alice couldn't help but return it.

"Do you know which orphanage you were at?" she asked softly.

Anna shook her head, "I don't like it."

Alice tucked a bit of hair behind Anna's ear (much like Jean had done in the past with Alice), and gently tilted the girl's chin up. "You… You're in Miss Fisher's care right now, Anna, you don't have to go back."

"Can't I stay with you?"

Anna's eyes were hopeful and Alice bit on her lower lip - unsure of how to answer.

"I… I don't know if they'll let you."

"Who?"

"Welfare, the people who let you come stay with Miss Fisher; they will decide where you go."

Anna sat up on her knees, her small hands bracing her body against Alice's legs. "But I want to stay with you!"

"I know, Anna. I know…" she smoothed over Anna's hair as the girl frowned. She wasn't sure how much to tell her, how much she could handle, but Anna seemed like a bright girl… maybe a simplified version of what might happen would work. Alice had always appreciated straightforward talk when she was around Anna's age and she saw no reason to lie to a child and make promises on decisions that she didn't totally control.

"There's still a lot to talk about and think about. Welfare has to find the best fit for you and… that doesn't always mean that it's what you want, unfortunately."

Anna's frown deepened, "But you'll tell them I want to stay with you?"

"I will." Alice nodded.

A knock on the door interrupted them and both looked up to see Matthew peeking around the door with a smile.

"Ah, the sleeping beauties have woken."

Alice just shook her head with a fond smile as Anna hid against Alice's side. Matthew entered the room and limped over to the bed. Sitting down with a groan, he offered his hand to Anna - who looked at it with apprehension.

"You must be Miss Anna."

The girl smiled shyly and shook his hand as she crawled closer to Matthew, "That's me; who are you?"

"Matthew Lawson."

"Alice said you are a good guy like Inspector Hugh. Is that true?"

Alice could feel her cheeks grow warm as Matthew smiled at her. He nodded, "That's true. I'm a Chief Superintendent."

"Chief Super-indent?"

"Close, very close. Superintendent."

"Su-per-in-ten-dent." Anna repeated slowly, sounding out the syllables like she was tasting them to see if she liked them as she spoke.

"Very good," Matthew smiled. "But you can call me Matthew if you'd like."

"And you can call me Anna!"

* * *

Matthew's smile widened at Anna's enthusiasm so early in the morning. "Very well, Anna."

He noted Alice watched them both with a fond look - her arms wrapped around her knees; Anna mirrored the pose as she settled back down on the bed and Matthew wondered if Alice noticed it.

Anna tilted her head to the side - almost exactly like Alice did - and she frowned. "You're hurt."

"Hm?" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for Anna to explain.

She pointed to his forehead, "You're hurt, just like Alice." Turning to look back at Alice and then again at Matthew, Anna's eyes narrowed. "Did you get into a fight too?"

"Ah…" He looked up at Alice (his surprise mirrored in her wide eyes) before smiling at Anna. "No, I wasn't in a fight."

"Then why are you hurt?"

"Anna…" Alice gently touched the girl on her shoulder, gaining her attention. "Has… did Matron at the orphanage ever tell you about something called… the marking?"

Anna shook her head, "What is it?"

"It won't happen for you for some time yet," Matthew began. "It starts the day you turn eighteen."

"That's not for ages!"

He saw Alice hide a grin behind her hand out of the corner of his eye and he smiled. "You're right, Anna, eighteen is ages away for you."

"What happens?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Starting on your eighteenth birthday, you'll see the scars, bruises, and scrapes of the person you're… bonded with," Alice explained. "Your soulmate."

"Soulmate?"

"The person that… God or fate or a higher power has chosen for you."

"Why?"

Matthew took over, "It's meant to show us that we're supposed to share our burdens and the pains of our lives with another person."

"So…" Anna frowned. "Alice got hurt, and you got all of her ouches too?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "Alice and I are bonded, we have been for a long time."

"You're soulmates?"

"Yes."

"Does everyone get one?" she turned to Alice.

"Ah…" She shrugged and looked to Matthew for guidance - her own knowledge of the marking was threadbare in some areas. "I'm not sure."

"Not everyone gets one, no." Matthew helped her out. "There are some who will have no soulmate, and some who will have more than one. I'm not sure how it all works."

"Oh…" Anna leaned up against Alice's legs as she thought. Already, Matthew could see the wheels turning in the little girl's head and he smiled at how bright she was at such a young age.

"Does it hurt?"

"It can, but not always," Matthew smiled. "Not everyone feels the pain of their soulmate - the echo."

"Why not?"

"We… don't know. The church always told me that it was how much love existed between two people, that echoes were rare."

"But," Alice piped up, "there are some who think that the echo is more about empathy than love."

"What's that?"

"Empathy?" When Anna nodded, Alice bit her lower lip, "It's… the kindness we show other people even when we haven't experienced the same thing."

"Like you stopping that man from getting me?"

Alice smiled, "Yes, something like that."

"Does everyone have empathy?"

"So many questions," Matthew smiled. "Reminds me of someone else I know…"

Alice narrowed her eyes at him as Anna tilted her head curiously.

"Who?"

Matthew nodded towards Alice, "Alice likes to ask a lot of questions too."

"There's no harm in being curious," she flushed. "Curiosity's good to have."

He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I didn't say that it was a bad thing, sweetheart."

"Charmer."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation and they looked up to see Dot Collins peeking in with a smile.

"Morning! The Superintendent said you'd like some tea, Dr. Harvey. I brought up some milk for Miss Anna as well."

"Thank you, Mrs. Collins," Alice smiled as Dot walked in with a loaded tray.

"You're welcome. Breakfast should be ready within the hour, I'll come back in a bit once I have clothes for Miss Anna."

She left with another smile and Alice busied herself with the tea tray - preparing the cups for her and Matthew. "Careful not to spill it, Anna," she warned softly as she made sure Anna had a good grip on the glass of milk.

"I won't," Anna smiled as Alice handed Matthew his cup of tea. "What's gonna happen today?"

"I don't know," Alice answered truthfully. "We'll have to talk to the others at breakfast, see what to do."

"Will those people come?"

Matthew looked over Anna's head with raised eyebrows at Alice and mouthed " _People_?" She simply smiled.

"I don't know if Welfare will come today, Anna, but they will at some point I think. Let's see what the others have to say at breakfast, and then we'll go from there, okay?"

"Okay," Anna nodded and drank her milk, seemingly content with Alice's answers so far.

He and Alice exchanged soft looks over Anna's blonde head as all three of them sat in silence. Dot came back in when they'd finished (Matthew never could figure out how she always knew), and collected the tray with their empty cups. She handed it off to the butler and held out her hand to Anna.

Anna looked first to Matthew and then to Alice. Alice smoothed a hand over Anna's hair and handed over the stuffed bear with a smile. "I'll see you downstairs, okay?"

"Okay," Anna nodded and took Dot's hand. She waved shyly at Matthew over her shoulder and couldn't help but wave back with a smile.

"Cute kid."

"Very," Alice agreed as she crawled over to his side. She wrapped her arms around his torso from behind - resting her head on his shoulder. "You're good with her."

Matthew squeezed her knee and leaned back against her. "You're good with her too, sweetheart. I had some practice with Rose. If you do take on Anna, she'll be just as inquisitive. Luckily, I think you'll have more patience with endless questions than her mother."

Alice laughed, "Where'd Rose get it from?"

"Her father. He's a journalist like Rose."

"No wonder she's like a dog with a bone."

Matthew laughed as he felt Alice press a kiss to his neck. "Vera would say she got  _that_  from me, but Vera's much more stubborn."

"So... the Lawson legacy?"

He laughed again and shifted so he could face Alice. The bruising on her forehead grew darker overnight, but her eyes were light and teasing. Leaning in to brush a kiss against the cut on her forehead, Matthew cupped her cheek.

"We should get ready," she whispered.

He nodded and pressed a kiss to her lips, "We should… ready to face Lucien's inquisition?"

Alice laughed and kissed him again, "He'll be thoroughly distracted by Anna, I'm sure. But I'm still not looking forward to it."

"Eh, we'll be fine."

Alice kissed him with a smile, her thumbs gently caressing his cheekbones.

"I love you," she kissed him again. "Thank you for being here, dearest."

"Of course, sweetheart. You were there for me with my leg after the accident, I'm gonna be here for you now with all of this and with Anna. As long as you want me."

"I always want you. I know we told Anna that God or fate chooses her soulmate for her, but…"

"Mm?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "But what, sweetheart."

"I think if we didn't have this marking, this bond, I'd still choose you. It might have taken us longer to realize it, but I like think I still would have chosen you."

Matthew smiled and softly kissed her. "I think I would have done the same. Though I am glad the universe sent you to me."

She laughed, "The universe was very kind to both of us."

"Yes it was," he kissed her again - smiling against her lips when he felt her fingers card through his hair.

"Come, let's go face the music."

Alice smiled and stood from the bed; she helped him up and within a short amount of time, both of them were dressed and ready to face a new day together. Matthew leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth - careful to not smudge her lipstick - as the door opened and Anna wrapped her arms around Alice's legs.

Alice laughed and looked down at the girl, "Alright, missy, first rule you're learning: knock first and wait for an answer."

Anna pouted and Matthew grinned as his soulmate and her self-appointed mini-me walked from the room towards the stairs hand in hand. There was much still to figure out, but at least they'd be entertained in the meantime.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aaannnd we're back with the next chapter of Anna's story! please enjoy!

Jean smiled at Lucien when he put a cup of tea (made just the way she liked it) in front of her while she buttered toast for the two of them. They'd stayed up later than usual last night between the drive to Melbourne, chatting with Miss Fisher and the others, and falling into a fitful sleep (neither her nor Lucien slept well in strange places). Years of being a housekeeper after a life on farms trained her to rise with the sun, so Jean had helped Mrs. Collins and the butler with breakfast that morning as she let her husband sleep in.

"Sleep well?" she asked her husband.

"As well as I could."

"Worried about Alice?"

He took a piece of toast from her with a kiss to the side of her head. "A little. I'm hoping to get the full story today, since her and Matthew retired fairly early."

Lucien's eyebrows rose as he smirked and Jean swatted at his elbow.

"None of  _that_  now, please," she chided. "They were both exhausted, Lucien."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but thankfully decided against it with one look at Jean's face. They made polite conversation with Jack as the Chief Superintendent of City South read the paper at the head of the table - his spectacles perched on the end of his nose. Miss Fisher - uncharacteristically awake early - entered from the kitchen and twined her arms around Jack's shoulders from behind.

"Anything exciting happening today, Chief Superintendent Robinson?"

"Melbourne is unusually quiet, Miss Fisher. We've enough excitement waiting for us at City South, though."

She pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek and sat to his right. "I've a far more pressing matter at hand, Jack. The mystery of one Miss Anna."

"One I'm sure you'll solve in no time, love," he smiled over the top of his paper.

"Do you have any inkling to start with?" Lucien asked while Jean sipped on her tea.

"She's from Collingwood, that much I know," Phryne shrugged. "Perhaps Al got a little more out of her; Dot noticed little Miss Anna's bed was empty this morning when she went to check on the poor child."

"What about the man that attacked her and Alice?"

"Stewing in our cells at City South after he was seen to at the hospital," Jack answered. "He's in fairly bad shape, compared to Alice, but the worst he got was a knot on his head and a broken nose."

"Definitely will not cross Alice in the future," Lucien muttered; he grinned when Jean glared at him over the rim of her teacup.

The corner of Jack's mouth curled up into an amused smirk, "Dr. Harvey is not one to cross in general. I'm hoping with a night spent in our cells that the unknown man will be more cooperative."

Jane Ross popped in briefly to grab a few slices of toast (and a quick kiss to Phryne and Jack's cheeks) before she ducked out the front with her arms full of papers.

"How's Jane's new teaching job going, Miss Fisher?" Jean asked.

"Fantastically well and challenging for her too," Phryne grinned. "She had a few stubborn students who weren't keen on her teaching the higher level sciences, but they've since come around."

Ruckus on the stairs pulled their attention to the doorway just in time to see a small blonde girl jump down the last step with glee. She looked behind her and tugged on the hand joined to hers; Alice stepped down into the entryway with more restraint than her young companion - looking a lot more refreshed than she had last night.

The bruises on her forehead were painstakingly covered with makeup, and the cut on her forehead covered up by her bangs. If Jean hadn't seen them for herself last night, she never would have suspected Alice had been in a fight at all.

"Morning all," Alice smiled as she led the girl into the dining room.

"Morning, Alice," Jean smiled back.

Matthew stepped into the doorway behind them - his limp a little more pronounced this early in the morning - as someone knocked on the front door. He waved at Miss Fisher to sit and answered the door himself while Alice pulled out a chair for the girl.

"Would you like some help, Anna?"

The girl, Anna, shook her head as she clambered up into the chair, "No thank you, I've got it."

"So I see," Alice sat in the chair next to her.

"Sleep well, Al?" Phryne asked.

Alice nodded, "Both Matthew and I did, thank you, Miss Fisher, even with a little visitor in the middle of the night."

She pointed to Anna - who was happily munching on the breakfast Dot had placed in front of her. Jean covered a smile with her hand at the thought of Anna crawling into bed with Alice and Matthew during the night.

Matthew entered the dining room with Doctor Macmillan in tow; He pressed a kiss to the top of Alice's head as he sat on the empty chair to her left while Mac inspected how Alice's cut was healing.

"Mac, really, I'm fine, just a bit of a headache," Alice sighed as she endured the doctor's hovering.

"Mm," Mac narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "Fine, I'll find you some painkillers to take, then. It's healing nicely, Alice, just be careful with the stitches."

She walked towards the kitchen and called over her shoulder as Alice rolled her eyes, "And don't roll your eyes at me, Dr. Harvey!"

Jean hid a grin in her teacup when she caught Alice's muttered, " _Eyes on the back of her head, I swear._ "

"Never could get away with anything during school, could you, Alice?" Lucien teased.

Alice didn't deign him with a response other than narrowed eyes as Mac put two pain relief tablets in her hands.

"Alice didn't cause trouble at school, Lucien,  _unlike someone I know_ ," Jean defended her friend.

"I stopped!"

That earned him three scoffs from Jean, Alice, and Matthew alike.

"Lucien, you would get into more trouble if one of us wasn't with you nearly all the time, or need I remind you of the many times I've had to bail you out of a situation with a suspect?" Matthew raised his eyebrows.

"Or that time you dug up a grave in the middle of the night?" Alice tilted her head.

"Yes, and how many times have you almost gotten killed?" Jean questioned her husband, who threw his hands up in defeat amid the laughter of their hosts.

"Alright, I get it!"

Jean leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We do enjoy your trouble, Lucien, you wouldn't be yourself if you didn't stride headlong into it."

"Thank you, my darling."

Conversation passed easily around the breakfast table as the food slowly disappeared. Mac left them first, citing a few early autopsies that she needed to get a start on.

"If you get bored, Alice, you can always stop by," she smiled.

Alice simply smiled back, "Thank you, Mac."

"What's an autopsy?" Anna asked as Mac left out the front.

They all looked at each other and then to Alice - who flushed under all the attention before she turned to Anna. (Jean fervently hoped Alice would soften what an autopsy actually was for the girl.)

"It's my work," Alice explained as she refilled Anna's milk glass. "When someone dies from unnatural causes - mostly murder - they come to me and Dr. Blake at the morgue. We use the body to see if it tells us what happened to the deceased before they died."

"How do you do that?"

"We cut them open and examine the body," Alice told the girl with a smile. "And then take out the organs one by one to see if there's anything strange about them while we send samples to the lab to be tested for suspected poisons."

" _Alice_ ," Jean chided. Lucien and Matthew both hid their grins in their teacups.

"She  _asked_ , Jean," Alice frowned in confusion. "Politely, I might add."

"Still, there are some things children probably shouldn't learn about over the breakfast table."

"Oh." Alice nodded and turned back to the girl, "Maybe later, Anna."

(Jean resisted the urge to put her head in her hands; that was  _not_  what she meant, but she couldn't begrudge Alice for trying)

Jean watched Alice and Anna interact of the rest of breakfast. The pathologist was surprisingly gentle with the girl - something Jean hadn't expected in her friend. Alice could be soft, yes, but rarely around people who were outside her usual circle of friends. She answered Anna's questions - which were frequent - as best she could, never lying or hedging the truth, and never afraid to admit when she didn't know something.

(However Alice remained in Anna's life, Jean knew the little girl would have a permanent ally in her corner.)

Lucien peppered Alice with his own questions - filling in the blanks that Phryne and Jack weren't able to tell them last night.

"Lucien, let her eat," Jean laughed.

"I am!" He protested, gesturing to Alice's emptying plate in front of her.

"You hardly let her take a bite before firing another question!"

Alice laughed, "It's alright, Jean, I'm immune to it after hours in the morgue."

"See?" Lucien looked to his wife, who just frowned in response.

Matthew hid his laughter in his tea - a dimpled boyish grin Jean didn't see very often and couldn't be contained entirely behind his cup.

"I like him," Jean heard Anna whisper to Alice. "He's funny."

"He is, Anna," Alice whispered back with a grin. "He makes things lots of fun."

"Why is he named Lu-cen?"

" _Lucien_ ," Alice corrected softly, smiling when Anna repeated it slowly. "And I don't know, it's the name his parents gave him."

"Lucien's mother, Genevieve, was French, Anna," Jean spoke up. "She chose the name."

"Oh, we're doing introductions?" her husband smiled and walked around the table. He knelt beside Anna's chair and held out his hand.

Anna looked at it and then back at Alice, only taking Lucien's hand at her nod.

"Doctor Lucien Radcliffe Blake, at your service, young miss," Lucien shook her hand - all seriousness and gravitas, a cheeky grin spreading across his face at Anna's giggles.

"I'm Anna."

"So Alice told me. You can call me Lucien if you'd like." He pointed across the table, "That there is my wife, Jean Blake, and we're both very good friends of Alice and Matthew."

Anna giggled again, her bright blue eyes glittering as Lucien asked her questions:  _Where did she come from? Did she remember her parents? Had she always been in Collingwood? Did she like Miss Fisher's house? How old was she?_

Anna answered all of them to the best of her knowledge, and Jean noted she was particularly bright for a five year old. Any question she didn't know, she turned to Alice for guidance, and if both were stumped, Alice would just shrug.

"Now, Miss Anna," Lucien smiled as Dot and the butler bustled to and from the kitchen behind him, cleaning up breakfast. "One last question."

"Okay."

"Do you remember the orphanage you were in?"

Anna looked at Alice, her eyes wide and questioning. Alice smoothed a hand over Anna's blonde waves.

"We just want to know the name," Alice told her softly. "I promise you, you're not going back. I promised you that this morning before we came down, remember?"

Anna nodded, some of the fear disappearing from her face, but she climbed into Alice's lap - her arms wrapping as far around the pathologist as she could manage.

Alice looked utterly lost - her eyes darting around to all of them at the table, landing on Matthew last. He gave her a nod of encouragement and Jean watched as Alice put her arms around Anna - at first hesitant, but when Anna tucked herself under Alice's chin, Alice relaxed and pulled the girl closer.

Lucien reached out and softly touched Alice's shoulder to get her attention, "Too much?"

Alice hummed with a nod, "I think so."

Lucien squeezed her shoulder, "Anna can tell us when she's ready."

Alice whispered something into Anna's ear and the girl nodded into her shoulder before she whispered something back. Alice turned to Lucien, but Anna whispered something else and Alice nodded.

"Do you want to tell them, or shall I?" Alice asked her.

"You tell, please."

Her friend soothed Anna by smoothing a hand up and down her back. Turning to Lucien, Alice cleared her throat. "St. Jerome's in Collingwood. The Matron is a Sister Michaela."

"Excellent," Phryne spoke up. "Now we've somewhere to start. Thank you, Al, and thank  _you_ , Miss Anna for telling us."

Anna peeked out from Alice's arms and gave Phryne a smile.

"If you don't mind, Miss Fisher, I'd like to tag along," Lucien smiled.

"Of course you would," Matthew sighed.

"I'd be delighted for your help, Dr. Blake."

"If Lucien's going, then I'll go too. One of us has to stay out of trouble," Matthew grumbled - rolling his eyes to make Anna laugh. He stood with a bit of a wince and leaned down to kiss Alice's cheek, waving at Anna with a smile as Lucien and Phryne joined him by the door.

"Be careful," Jean told Lucien as he rounded the table to give her a kiss goodbye.

"We will."

"I'll know if you get in trouble," she grinned when he kissed her again.

"We'll be careful."

They all waved the trio off, Jack finally folding up his paper and bidding them goodbye as he went off to the City South station for the day.

"Looks like it's just us for the day, Alice," Jean smiled at her friend.

"I'm sure we'll find something to do."

* * *

Alice sat up with a sigh; Matthew snored beside her, his hand draped across her waist, but Alice hadn't slept a wink. Gingerly pulling back the covers, she slipped out of bed, grabbing Matthew's robe on her way out of the room - set on making something to drink (alcoholic or not, just  _something_.)

Padding down to the kitchen, Alice strove to make as little noise as possible, knowing that the butler might come investigating if she rattled around too much. She drew idle designs on the table as the kettle boiled; there was so much to think about and today just added more worries and more questions on top of the ones she already had.

Jean took her and Anna out for clothes shopping - the girl couldn't very well continue to wear thirty year odd hand me downs and old shirts. She needed her own things, to let her personality shine through. Shopping wasn't usually fun for Alice, especially clothes shopping, but Anna had had a ball of a time picking out a few staple outfits, a coat she could grow into, shoes, and her own set of pajamas. The utter joy on Anna's face was a treat to see.

All in all, they'd had a good day. The others returned at lunch time, looking a little irritated, but they wouldn't speak about it until Anna went upstairs for a nap. The trip to the orphanage had been fruitful; Anna's birth certificate was now in Phryne's possession, and some questions answered, but the description of the living conditions at the orphanage made Alice shudder even now.

The thought of Anna ever returning to that place made Alice entirely glad she ran into her.

"Make enough for two?"

Alice jumped up at Phryne's voice. The lady detective leaned against the doorframe - sans make up and wrapped in a chic silk robe, but smiling despite the late hour.

"I… I can make enough," Alice finally nodded. She added an extra scoop to the teapot as Phryne brought over the boiling kettle. "Did I disturb you, Miss Fisher?"

"Call me Phryne, Al, and no you didn't. I keep odd hours."

She nodded and prepared their cups (with some gentle guidance from Phryne) as the tea steeped.

"What's keeping you up, Al?" Phryne asked, her tone light, but she tilted her head to the side when Alice shrugged. "Is it about Anna?"

"Yes."

"Worried about potentially raising her?"

She nodded and Phryne smiled as she poured them both tea.

"I was the same when I took Jane in, though she was a teenager and not five years old. I wasn't sure if I'd be the right person, but I knew I wanted her safe."

"What changed?"

"I saw myself in Jane, my younger self, and I knew what kind of life awaited her if stayed on the streets. She's a clever girl, always has been, but without the right encouragement and a safe place to stay… I don't know how much longer she would have lasted or what would have happened to her."

"Were the streets that dangerous?"

Phryne nodded, "Of a sorts, but Jane had someone after her, who wanted her dead. You remember what the streets were like when you were younger, Alice."

"I almost immediately ran into Temperance Buchanan when I came to Melbourne, Phryne. I didn't spend much time on the streets on my own."

"You still lived in Collingwood."

"True."

"What's  _really_  got you worried, Al?"

Alice traced the rim of her teacup - avoiding Phryne's piercing look. "What… Anna wants me to be her guardian… what if I'm what she wants but not what she needs?"

"Who says you can't be both?"

"I… I didn't realize I could be both."

Phryne reached out and squeezed Alice's hand. "Of course you can be both, you just have to figure out if this is what  _you_  want."

"What if I'm too strange for her?"

"Judging on how she immediately goes to you, looks to  _you_ , at any chance, Al, I don't think she finds you strange. Kids are perceptive and usually good judges of character in my experience. Now, I'm the last person you'd expect to tell you to give raising kids a chance, but…"

Alice laughed, "I'll think about i- I mean, I  _am_  thinking about it, Phryne. I'm just… worried I guess, about messing up. My… parents were brutal, well… my father was at least, and Temperance was a welcome change but still…"

"Cool?"

"Mm-hm," Alice nodded. "Temperance was what I needed, not what I wanted."

"And what was it that you wanted, Al?"

She sipped at her tea, idly staring down into the cup as she reminisced on her childhood. Memories of her father's beatings, her mother's silence, and her sister's frequent flights from home surfaced. The fear she'd grown up with - that hairpin trigger of flight or fight every time someone raised their voice after she got out of Sydney - laced every memory. The overwhelming feeling of freedom when she ran from that house, stepped foot onto the train, and arrived in Melbourne.

Temperance brought structure to her life, gave her safety. It was what she needed, but what she wanted…

What she wanted was to be-

"Loved. I wanted to be loved."

Phryne squeezed her hand again. "That's all Anna's asking for, Alice, that's all she needs. She'll be loved regardless of where she stays… the question is, do  _you_  want to be the one that loves her?"

"I… I think I do, but..." Alice sighed.

"You have time, there's no rush."

Alice smiled and opened her mouth to respond when Anna's soft, sleepy voice interrupted them.

"Alice?" the girl yawned and rubbed at her eyes with her little fists.

"Anna," Alice smiled. "What are you doing up? More bad dreams?"

"Nuh-uh, thirsty."

"Come on then, Miss Anna," Phryne stood. "Sit at the table and we'll get you some water."

Anna walked over to Alice and wordlessly held up her arms; Alice hesitated at first, but then pulled the girl up onto her lap - letting Anna lean against her shoulder as she yawned again. Phryne brought over a small cup of cold water and handed it to Alice, who gave it to Anna.

"Got it?" she asked.

Anna nodded and drank the water carefully as Phryne and Alice finished their tea. Anna put her empty glass on the table as Phryne finished first.

"Well, I should try to go sleep, my girls, and so should you." She rounded the table and pressed a kiss to Anna's forehead first and then Alice's.

"Just love, Alice," Phryne whispered as she left them in the kitchen.

Alice smiled and leaned her cheek against the top of Anna's head, "Ready to go back to bed, Anna?"

"Can I stay with you, please?"

"I don't see why not, but we've got to be quiet when we go upstairs… Matthew's still asleep."

Anna sleepily held a finger to her lips and Alice laughed to herself.

"Want to walk or…?"

"Can you carry me, please? I'm tired."

Alice pressed a kiss to the top of Anna's head.

_Just love_

"Of course."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> do I know how fostering and adoption and whatnot works in 1950s/1960s Australia? no. could I have researched it? yes, but where's the fun in that? (jk I'd probably find it fun but then this story might be further drawn out than planned. SO, enjoy this chapter as Anna finally gets to come home!!

Matthew woke before Alice - a rare occurrence these days - and looked over to see her curled up on the bed next to him. Anna wasn't there, but Matthew knew it was only a matter of time before the little girl knocked on their guest room door. He smoothed a hand over Alice's arm - curling his body around hers as she groaned softly.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Alice pulled him closer, pressing his hand against her stomach, "Oh… that's better."

Matthew felt a dull ache below his stomach that spread to his lower back and and grew stronger as he kissed the back of her shoulder, "Ah, time for a hot water bottle and painkillers?"

"Unfortunately," Alice grumbled.

"You'll have to let me go so I can get it for you." Matthew laughed quietly when Alice stubbornly pulled him closer. "Sweetheart."

"Nuh-uh."

"Alice."

She shook her head - eyes still closed as Matthew peppered her shoulder and neck with kisses. He gently kissed her cheek and drew his hands back - Alice made a noise of protest before it melted into a satisfied hum when he started to slowly massage her lower back.

"Don't stop," she whispered and Matthew smiled against her skin.

"I have to, sweetheart. I'll be quick, Dot and them should already be up."

Alice sighed and slowly rolled onto her back - she cupped his face with her hands and smiled when Matthew dipped down to softly kiss her.

"I'll be quick, I promise," he kissed her again.

She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled, "Why not get two of the hot water bottles and some breakfast brought up? Your knee is aching and I don't really want to get up yet."

"Would you like me to bring up some books as well? We can have a bit of a lazy day since the Blakes have gone back to Ballarat."

Alice nodded, "And I'll take a look at your knee once the painkillers have done their job."

"Deal," Matthew smiled and kissed her. "A lighter breakfast, yes?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Maybe just eggs and toast for me."

He smoothed his hand over her side and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Your wish is my command, sweetheart." Matthew grinned at her faint scoff.

"You know Anna's going to want to see you."

"That's fine," Alice smiled. "I want her to feel welcome."

Matthew sat up with a sigh, "I'm surprised she didn't come in last night."

"She must be feeling more comfortable," Alice shifted onto her side as she watched Matthew stand and stretch. "She's opened up so much since that day she ran into me in Collingwood."

He smiled, "She has, bit of a little whirlwind too."

His smile widened at Alice's giggles, "I was the same way too, growing up," she hid her laughter behind a hand. "Questions, so many questions, I think I drove Temperance up a wall until she steered me towards the library."

Matthew chuckled, "Then it's good Anna has you to answer all her questions. The two of you can pester each other and give us all a break."

He ducked out of the room with a laugh - narrowly avoiding the pillow thrown at his head - and limped downstairs to the kitchen. Dot greeted him with a smile and pulled out another tray for them. As she loaded it up with pastries, tea, and breakfast, Matthew told her the other request before he scoured the bookshelves in Phryne's parlor for some interesting novels. He was halfway through the mysteries when he felt a tug on his bathrobe.

"Good morning, Miss Anna," he smiled as he looked down to see the young blonde girl holding onto his robe.

"Good morning, Matthew," Anna smiled back. "Will Alice come down too?"

"Nah, not today. She's not feeling well and we're going to have a lazy morning."

"You can  _do_  that?" Anna's jaw dropped as her eyes widened.

He nodded, "She  _did_ say that you were welcome to join us. See anything here that interests you?"

"Alice said she would tell me more about autopsies."

"Anatomy book it is, then," Matthew nodded and pulled the hefty tome off the shelf. Handing the smaller books to Anna, he led her to the stairs - briefly informing Dot where Anna would be. She handed him two hot water bottles in their soft covers before he got too far.

"The tray should be ready in a minute, Superintendent, I'll bring it up with the painkillers."

"Thank you, Mrs. Collins," Matthew smiled when Anna echoed him as she climbed the stairs. He knocked on their bedroom door before opening it up when Alice yawned out a welcome. "Breakfast is on its way up, and I brought a visitor."

Alice pulled herself up into a sitting position as Anna clambered up onto the bed. Hugging the enthusiastic girl, Alice laughed, "Good morning, Anna."

"Good morning, Alice! Matthew said I could come up for a 'lazy morning' with you!"

"He did, did he? Well, he's right, we're having a lazy morning today," Alice smiled. She took one of the hot water bottles off Matthew's hands (as well as the anatomy book - that got him a raised eyebrow, but he just motioned to Anna), and helped Matthew settle back on the bed as Anna pulled the anatomy book towards her.

"What's that?" Anna asked, tilting her head curiously at the hot water bottle Alice settled against her stomach - Matthew resting the other on top of his knee as he cracked open one of the mystery novels.

"A hot water bottle, it provides heat where I need it," Alice let Anna touch the water bottle and the girl poked it gently. "It helps with muscle cramps."

"Muscle cramps?"

Alice nodded, "Sometimes your muscles… get stiff or stuck or kinked a certain way and it hurts when they move. Heat helps relax the muscles so they stop hurting."

"Why?"

Matthew couldn't help but smile as Alice dove into an explanation for Anna - who watched his soulmate with wide eyes. Soon, they opened the anatomy book - Anna firmly ensconced next to Alice - and Alice went through the whole body and all its systems with the girl. Dot came and went with their breakfast, painkillers for Alice, and soon Matthew set his own book aside to join Alice and Anna's lessons on anatomy.

As Anna peppered Alice with questions, Matthew pressed a kiss to the crown of Alice's head, smiling when she entwined her fingers with his without pausing in her answers. He wondered if Alice was considering becoming Anna's foster mother - the girl obviously adored her and Alice had relaxed into the role of guardian around Anna ever since the visit to Anna's orphanage.

Matthew rather liked the idea of Anna coming home to Ballarat - she'd brought a bit of adventure back into their routine. Ultimately, it was Alice's decision and Welfare's choice on where Anna would go, but he dearly hoped the girl would come home with them.

* * *

Alice leaned against Matthew's shoulder as he read his own novel. The painkillers had helped significantly, and while she was still tired, Alice was no longer in pain from her monthly cramps. Anna lay curled up asleep in her lap - the anatomy book forgotten at the foot of the bed - as Alice ran her fingers through the girl's soft hair.

This was nice, she mused. She could see more mornings like this at her flat or at the Blake house and that thought didn't worry her as much as it had a few days ago.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Matthew asked quietly.

Alice sighed, "You're going to need a lot of pennies."

She smiled when he shook with silent laughter. "Just one, then."

"It's… it's this whole situation with Anna…"

"You care about her."

"More than I think I should…" Alice sighed. "I… I want to help her, Matthew, even though I know practically nothing about raising children. I see so much of myself in her and I see bits of you in her as well - she even looks like you… I want to give her a better chance than I had growing up. You and I both know what the welfare homes are like - no better than the orphanage she got abandoned at after she was born; she'd get lost in the system and who knows what'll happen to her. I want to be that safe place for her to grow up in like Temperance was for me. I want to give her the love she sorely needs."

"So?"

"So… I guess I'll have to start looking for a bigger place to live - a permanent place to live, luckily my lease is ending in a few months," Alice huffed a laugh as she smoothed a hand over Anna's hair. "And she'll need more clothes, things to do… I suppose I'll have to look into schools once we get back to Ballarat."

"We'll figure it out, sweetheart, and the others will help. You're not alone in this."

"I know," she turned and pressed a kiss to his jaw. "I know and I thank you so much, dearest. Now… now, we wait and see if Welfare decides that I'm good foster parent material."

"They will, sweetheart. Anna adores you and you have good standing in Ballarat. You have a steady income and a good support system. I'll talk to them, so will Jean and Lucien; Phryne, Mac, and Jack are all willing to be character witnesses for you too."

Alice sniffed and rubbed her eyes - willing away the tears that suddenly sprung up. "Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with a family like this."

Matthew said nothing, he just pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her close.

"Did her birth certificate have a middle name or last name for her?"

"No, no last name, but her middle name is Marie."

Alice hummed, "Anna Marie Harvey… has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

He smiled and nodded, "It does, sweetheart, it does. You're going to make her so happy."

"Good, that's all I want - Anna to be happy."

"And will you be happy?"

"With you here and hopefully with Anna, I'm always happy," Alice smiled and softly kissed him.

"Good."

* * *

Alice paced up and down the parlor, her hands tangled in knots in front of her as she frowned. Phryne had given up trying to calm her and just sat on the chaise lounge as they waited.

Today, Welfare was coming to visit and Alice was a jittery bunch of nerves. She didn't even have Matthew's steady presence here - a call came up from Ballarat from Charlie yesterday, and Matthew was needed at home.

" _You'll do splendidly, sweetheart," he pressed a kiss to her forehead as she straightened his uniform tie. "They're going to see how much you care for Anna and how much she cares about you."_

" _I just wish you were staying," she sighed._

_Matthew dipped his head and kissed her firmly - smiling against her lips when Alice twined her arms around his neck._

" _Alice Harvey," he rested his forehead against hers, "you're going to knock the socks off the Welfare folks. You're a dedicated pathologist, smart, and compassionate. Anna adores you and she won't be with a better foster parent than you. They'll see that, I know they will. I'm always with you, sweetheart."_

_He kissed the scars on her palm as she willed away her tears - sometimes she wondered how the hell she was this lucky to have Matthew in her life._

" _I love you," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his matching scars and another to his lips. "I love you so much, Matthew."_

" _I love you too, Alice," he kissed her back. "Knock 'em dead, sweetheart."_

She stopped her pacing abruptly when Jack appeared in the doorway with a smile.

"Come, Alice, let's sit and have some tea. I think you're making Phryne dizzy with all of the pacing."

" _Jack_ ," Phryne swatted at him - grinning as the graying superintendent chuckled. Their easy banter calmed some of Alice's nerves and she sat nursing a cup of tea while her friends chatted over that morning's newspaper. Her teacup rattled in its saucer when the doorbell rang and Jack squeezed her shoulder as Phryne got up to answer the door.

Her nerves settled in a knot below her ribs as the Welfare worker in charge of Anna's case arrived. Alice was as cordial as she could be (her heartbeat filled her ears and she willed it back as Phryne and the case worker chatted). Phryne explained the situation - allowing Alice to tell of the fight in the alleyway once again, and the lady detective waxed on and on about how Anna positively adored Alice.

"And what do you think of the girl?" the case worker asked Alice once Phryne was done talking.

"She's bright, very bright," Alice set down her teacup. "Anna has a curiosity that puts mine to shame. She's… I enjoy having her around."

"Do you think you're up to the task of raising her?"

Alice clenched her hands tight in her lap and nodded. "I… I know what it's like to not have… a good home life, ma'am, or good parents. Though I've never raised children myself, I want to give Anna the best chance she can growing up."

"Even if that means it might not be with you?"

Something clenched around her heart at the thought of not seeing Anna again, but Alice nodded. "Yes."

The case worker opened her mouth to say something else when the topic of their discussion ran into the room and straight towards Alice. Anna had tears running down her face and she held her elbow in a way that instantly concerned Alice.

"What's the matter?" she asked the girl softly as Dot rushed in out of breath.

"Sorry to disturb you, Miss," Dot nodded to Phryne. "Miss Anna had a bit of a fall out back and insisted on seeing Dr. Harvey."

"It hurts," Anna cried.

"Let me see," Alice slid to the floor and knelt next to the girl as she inspected the scrape. "Mrs. Collins, your first aid kit?"

"Here, Al," Phryne handed it over - having gone and gotten it the second Anna came into the room.

Alice wiped away Anna's tears, "We'll get you sorted, Anna." She gently cleaned up the blood and the scrape, explaining everything she did to the young girl as she did it - who'd stopped crying to watch in fascination as Alice worked.

Taping a bit of gauze over the cleaned scrape, Alice smiled, "All done."

"Can you kiss it and make it better?" Anna asked. "Mrs. Blake said that's what you're supposed to do."

"Did she now? Well, if Mrs. Blake says so, it has to be true," Alice grinned. Gathering Anna into her arms, she kissed first the gauze and then Anna's forehead. "Better?"

"Much, thank you, Alice."

Alice smiled at Anna as the girl gave her a big hug. She chanced a look up at the case worker and the bundle of nerves loosened when she saw the fond look on the worker's face.

"Who's that?" Anna whispered.

"That, is your case worker, Anna," Alice whispered back.

In an instant, Anna was out of her lap and in front of the case worker, "Please let me stay with Alice!"

"Anna," Phryne chided softly (as she was technically Anna's guardian).

"Please," Anna begged. "She's so nice and she saved me from the bad man. She doesn't send me away when I have bad dreams and answers all of my questions. I like her a lot and she has funny friends and I want to stay with her in Ballarat."

The case worker looked between Anna, Phryne, and Alice - still kneeling on the floor surrounded by scattered remnants of the first aid kit as she waited anxiously.

"Well…" the worker sighed. "Since you do have Miss Anna's birth certificate, good standing in your community, a stable income, and a willing support system… we can start the process to have Miss Anna fostered with Dr. Harvey - with the hope of eventual adoption down the road… if that is what you all wish?"

"Yes," Alice breathed - scarcely believing what the woman was saying. Anna would come home with her, Anna would eventually be her  _daughter_  and it filled her chest with warmth and light.

The worker made a note in her file, "I'll file the paperwork after you all sign it, but Miss Anna Marie is now Miss Anna Marie Harvey and will go live with Dr. Alice Harvey in Ballarat. There  _will_  be a home visit in the coming weeks, to make sure that living conditions are being met and that she's enrolled in school."

"Yes, of course," Alice nodded. "I'm currently looking for a permanent place in Ballarat as my rental lease is up soon."

"Perfect, we'll come down in a few weeks, and then follow up once you make the move."

Anna bounced on her heels as she watched Phryne and Alice sign the multitude of forms - Jack signing as well to witness it all - and as soon as the door closed behind the case worker she was in Alice's arms.

"I get to stay with you!"

Alice laughed and held her close, "Yes, you do!"

"And I have a last name now," Anna smiled. "I like it."

"I like it too," Alice smiled. "Let's call home and give them the good news, hm?"

"Yes!"

* * *

Matthew was there waiting for them with the Blakes when Alice and Anna stepped off the train in Ballarat. He grinned as Anna ran to him through the crowd - ignoring Alice's slightly weary call of her name. Jean walked up to Alice and greeted her with a hug while Lucien sorted out the luggage; Matthew patted the top of Anna's shoulder when she wrapped her arms around his good leg.

"Hello, Matthew!" the girl grinned up at him and he tipped his police uniform hat at her.

"Hello, Miss Anna," he grinned back. "Enjoy the train ride to Ballarat?"

She nodded as Alice came up to them, "We saw lots of stuff and Alice read to me and we had sandwiches from Mrs. Collins!"

"Sounds exciting," Matthew agreed and he smiled at Alice. Leaning over Anna's head, he pressed a kiss to Alice's lips, "Welcome home, sweetheart."

"It's good to be home," Alice smiled and kissed him back. "Alright, Anna, we're going to drop off the luggage at home and then you get to see the Blake house where Dr. Blake, Mrs. Blake, and Matthew live. We're going to spend the afternoon there and have dinner with them and Sergeant Charlie Davis."

"Who's he?"

"He lives with the Blakes."

"Is he their son?"

Alice smiled and shook her head, "No, Sergeant Davis isn't their son."

"Oh..." Anna pondered this for a bit and then looked back up at them. "We're going on an adventure?"

"Yes," Alice nodded and took Anna's hand as she bounced after Lucien and Jean; Matthew took her other hand and kissed the side of her head as they walked.

* * *

Anna watched Ballarat pass by with wide eyes on the car ride over to Alice's flat (staying in the car as Alice quickly dropped off their suitcases), and then as they drove over to 7 Mycroft Avenue. Jean and Matthew pointed out the sights as Lucien drove - Alice paid attention to which ones she took interest in and made a mental note to take Anna to them in the few weeks before the school term started.

Jean had been a massive help in figuring out which school Anna would do well in. Out of all of them, Matthew and Lucien's old school of Ballarat West was actually the best choice; both Matthew and Alice were hesitant in sending Anna there after what had happened in the past, but after meeting with the headmaster on Alice's behalf, Jean and Matthew agreed that things had changed and Anna would thrive under their tutelage. (Matthew would be keeping a close eye on the school during Anna's time there - McAvoy was still deputy head). Alice and Anna were due to meet the headmaster later this week to fill out paperwork and for Anna to get fitted for the uniform.

Alice smiled; Anna was looking forward to school, she'd already gotten a head start on the alphabet and her numbers while they stayed at Wardlow - she'd do well in school and Alice would support her with every step. No child of Alice Harvey would feel belittled for wanting to learn, that was sure.

As Jean and Lucien gave Anna the grand tour of their house, Matthew drew Alice into his arms by the door. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Long day?"

Alice nodded, "I'm just glad to be  _home_. Anna's going to love it here."

He kissed her forehead, "Yeah, she is. I'll be keeping a close eye on the school once she starts, and the headmaster already knows her story and that sometimes Anna'll be picked up by Jean, Lucien, Charlie, or me, depending on how busy everything gets."

Alice could almost cry; they'd thought of everything. "Takes a village, hm?"

"Yeah, it does, sweetheart," Matthew kissed her forehead again. "We'll be with you every step of the way."

"Do you have to go back to work?"

"Unfortunately, but I'll be here for dinner. Do you want me to stay over at the flat tonight?"

She drew back with a sigh and shook her head, "No… no, I think Anna and I need tonight to… adjust. It'll be new for both of us, but this is something I've got to do with her on my own."

"Of course," Matthew brushed a gentle kiss against her lips and smiled. "We'll get you two settled, Anna in school, and then go start looking for a permanent place for you to live."

"I want a house… room for Anna to play in and maybe a yard… I don't know, but she needs her own space."

"You'll find it, sweetheart." He smoothed his hands up and down her upper arms as a horn honked outside. "I've got to go, but I'll see you later."

Alice kissed him and wiped away traces of her lipstick, "Stay safe, dearest."

Stealing one last kiss, Matthew slipped out the front and waved to her as he settled in the police car next to Charlie. Alice watched him go with a fond smile and turned back to Anna as the girl came running towards her (with Jean's " _No running in the house!_ " following close behind), pulling her to come see the sunroom and garden. Alice laughed and let herself be pulled along by her foster daughter, even if she protested that flowers were not her forte.

Life with Anna was going to be interesting to say the least, but Alice looked forward to it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna gets into a schoolyard scuffle, Alice gets a new name, and the reform of one Sergeant Bill Hobart begins

Anna loved being Anna Harvey.

She loved Ballarat and her new family. Alice was her new mum (she'd never had a mum before), Matthew  _might_  be her new dad - but she wasn't sure. She knew Matthew and Alice were bonded, but they weren't married. Uncle Lucien and Auntie Jean (the day she came home was the day they insisted on new names, Anna didn't mind) were bonded  _and_  married, so Anna just assumed each bonded pair was different. Anna didn't mind different - Alice told her that differences made people interesting and that she should always be kind to others.

Alice's rules were easy - and there were rules in the Harvey household. She had to knock and wait for an answer - she couldn't just barge in whenever she felt like it (and Alice would do the same, Anna liked that about her new mum). She had to clean up after herself - Alice taught her how. She had to help with the dishes after their meals; and complete her school work or chores before she could play. She had to be kind, be polite, but stand up for herself and others. Alice also told her that there was no such thing as a stupid question: " _You can always ask me anything, Anna, and if I don't know the answer, we'll find out together_."

Anna liked that; Alice's rules were more fun than Auntie Jean's (sometimes). Auntie Jean said she couldn't run indoors, that she had to " _refrain from yelling to be heard_ " (though she did that one rarely), and to not sneak biscuits as they cooled on top of the oven (Anna learned that one the hard way, her fingers burned just thinking about it - the tasty treat had been worth the gentle scolding), but Auntie Jean was just as kind as Alice and she'd explain her reasonings behind the rules for Anna if the girl asked.

Anna liked her new family. Uncle Lucien was funny and made her feel safe. He explained everything medical to her during her check ups and let Alice hold her when getting shots. Matthew was quiet compared to Uncle Lucien, but she liked it when he read stories out loud to Alice and Anna some nights. He made the words come to life and let her follow along in the book. He'd let her look at the pictures in the newspaper after school sometimes - it reminded Anna of some mornings with Miss Fisher and Mr. Jack at Wardlow where they'd let her look at the newspaper at the table. Matthew was proud of his niece Rose, as she was the one who took the pictures.

Anna liked Rose - she was always smiling and had funny stories about Matthew and Uncle Lucien to tell whenever she visited the Blake house to see Charlie. Rose even helped her sometimes with school work if the others were busy.

(Rose also gave the very best hugs, second to Alice's.)

Sometimes Alice took Anna to the police station where Matthew and Uncle Lucien worked. There, she met Charlie (Sergeant Davis), Bill (Sergeant Hobart, she called him Sergeant Bill), and Ned (Constable Simmons). Alice made sure that Anna knew she could always come to the police station if she needed to - and that she could always approach the police for help.

She loved her school and all the new things she got to learn. Anna knew some of her letters and numbers - Alice would point to different parts of her body and tell her anatomical terms that corresponded with each letter, and used Anna's fingers and toes for numbers - but school offered so much  _more_. It was full of learning - new shapes, new smells, new people, new  _books_  - and Anna loved it. It took all of her patience in the mornings to wait until Alice dropped her off - her mum insisting on a good breakfast for the growing girl, and that her hair and uniform were tidy.

" _No one is going to say that I can't take care of you_ ," Alice had muttered one morning as she tackled the difficult task of plaiting Anna's hair as the girl practically bounced in her chair in anticipation of a day filled with learning.

Anna could care less how she looked - she wanted to learn.

She hadn't made many friends so far, but Auntie Jean said sometimes friendships took awhile to form. Anna loved her school and everything about it.

Except for Bruce.

Bruce MacArthur was a bully who liked to pick on the shyer students of the younger years. He even sometimes picked on the teachers, which Anna thought especially rude. He picked on Anna too - made fun of her for having to do remedial work to catch up in class, made fun of her being a foster kid, and made fun of her being raised by Alice.

(The last bit  _really_  made Anna mad some days; Alice was the best mum Anna could ever have.)

Bruce had a couple of friends who joined in on the bullying - Anna tried to avoid them all when she could, usually going to the classroom early and being one of the first to leave when the day was done. Today, however, Anna's teacher told her that Sergeants Davis and Hobart were picking her up today instead of Alice or Auntie Jean, and that they were running late.

So, she sat on the steps of the school off to the side as her classmates scattered to the four winds once the bell rung. Anna didn't mind waiting, nor did she mind other people picking her up from school - Charlie was nice and so was Sergeant Hobart (Alice only interacted with him if she had to whenever they were at the station, so Anna didn't know him well). She rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes as she planned out what she'd tell Alice about school today.

Raised voices and sounds of a struggle reached her ears - interrupting her list for Alice. Anna stood - her bag bumping against her side as she followed the noise. Rounding the corner to the outside stairwell, Anna stopped short at the sight of Bruce and his goons picking on another classmate, Gideon Kirk. The second Bruce raised his fist - and the second Gideon flinched - Anna ran forward as the blow landed.

"Leave him alone!" she shouted, pushing Bruce away from Gideon.

"Aw look, Crybaby Gideon has a savior!" Bruce taunted, one of his friends shoved Anna back. "The lil' brat decided she'd fight us."

Bruce's friend shoved Anna again - the other pulling on her hair; she cried out in pain and kicked wildly. When someone grunted, Anna knew she'd hit a mark, but her victory was short-lived. Bruce pulled on her hair again - hard enough to tear some of it out of her scalp - put her in a headlock and put a hand over her mouth. Anna screamed - muffled by the boy's hand - and kicked out at Bruce's friends (Trevor and Eric) as they tried to grab her legs. She grappled at Bruce's hand over her mouth - nails scratching at his skin and her own face as she finally managed to bite down on the soft skin between his thumb and forefinger. Bruce let her go with a yelp and Anna dropped to the ground beside Gideon.

The bully's surprise didn't last long as he grabbed Anna by the collar of her uniform shirt, "You'll pay for that, Harvey, you freak bastard! I'm gonna teach you a lesson!"

Suddenly, Anna wasn't under that stairwell anymore, instead she was back in that alley in Collingwood - facing a similar situation and this time without Alice to save her as a fist came rushing towards her. Bruce's punch hurt - pain radiating around her eye and cheek, and as she teared up all Anna wanted was her mum. Alice wasn't here to rescue her, but Anna knew what to do. Lashing out, her knuckles collided with Bruce's nose much like Alice's had in Collingwood, and much like Collingwood, Bruce's nose started bleeding profusely.

"You bastard!" Bruce yelled as he cupped his hands around his bleeding nose. He moved to punch her again, but a much larger hand stopped him.

"That's quite enough," Hobart frowned at all of them - Constable Simmons rounded up Trevor and Eric while Anna ran towards Hobart. Charlie took Bruce off of Hobart's hands and came back for Gideon as Anna wrapped her arms around Hobart's leg - the tears finally falling.

* * *

The sergeant knelt - his hands gentle on Anna's shoulders as he got a good look at her injuries. (Blackening eye, bleeding scalp from where they'd pulled her hair, and some welts on her cheeks).

' _Dr. Harvey is going to raise hell when she sees this_ ,' Bill thought.

"Easy there, Miss Harvey," he tried to soothe the distraught girl, "We're gonna take you to the station and get this all sorted out."

"I want Mumma!" Anna cried - big tears falling down her cheeks as she let out hiccuping sobs.

"We'll call her once we get to the station and Dr. Blake takes a look at you, okay?"

The girl nodded and held up her arms once he stood. Hiding a wry smile at the fact that  _Doctor Harvey's_  kid of all people wanted to be held by him, Bill hoisted Anna up in his arms and carried her to the police cars.

The three boys who'd been fighting with Anna were in the back of one car (Charlie at the wheel), while the other boy was in the other. Bill brought Anna to that one - the car ride to the station quiet save for Anna's sniffles and the boy's faint "thank you" to Anna.

Charlie hauled the boys into the station with Ned's help - catching the attention of their boss and Blake.

"What's all this?" Lawson asked as he limped up to them - Blake not far behind.

"Schoolyard scuffle, Boss," Charlie supplied as Bill walked up with Anna and the other boy. "Bill and I found these three picking on the other two."

"I didn't do nothing!" The kid with a bloodied nose shouted. "She started it!"

"Separate them, get their names, Sergeant," Lawson ordered Charlie - ignoring the protesting kid as the acting senior sergeant led them away - Blake following to look at the kid's nose. Bill's boss approached him with a soft smile as he caught the eye of the kids. "Bill?"

"I don't know who started it, Boss," Bill answered as he set Anna down on her feet - Dr. Harvey's kid gravitated towards his boss and Lawson smoothed a hand over Anna's upper back as she clung to his good leg. "Charlie and I only saw the end when that kid with the bloodied nose was about to punch Miss Harvey."

"What alerted you to it?"

"A scream - muffled, but it was definitely a scream. And shouting. Charlie and I were there to pick up Miss Harvey as you'd asked."

"Thank goodness you were there," Lawson flashed a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Blake's looking at that kid's nose, if you'll take Miss Harvey and…?"

"Gideon," Anna whispered. "Gideon Kirk. The other kids are Bruce MacArthur, and Trevor and Eric Daniels."

"Thank you, Miss Harvey. Take Miss Harvey and Mr. Kirk upstairs to the other interview room, I'll start contacting the parents - get them down here before we can start getting to the bottom of this."

"Right, Boss."

* * *

She was with Jean in the morgue (Mrs. Blake had brought a bit of food to make Alice take a break) when the call came. Alice fought the urge to run into the station and look for her daughter; Jean's hand rested on her back as they walked inside and towards the front desk - neither Lucien or Matthew were in sight, but Ned was running the desk.

"Constable Simmons," Jean smiled as they approached.

"Doc, Mrs. Blake," he nodded. "She's upstairs with Sergeant Hobart and Dr. Blake."

"Interview room?"

"Yeah."

Jean pulled her to a stop just before they reached the interview room upstairs.

"What?" Alice frowned.

"I know you're angry, Alice, but Anna needs comfort right now, not anger."

"I'm fine."

"You're shaking," Jean pointed out.

Alice clenched her fists - opening and closing them rapidly until she crossed her arms and then let out a deep sigh, "I can't… I didn't want this to happen to Anna, Jean."

"I know."

"And now it has… I don't know who I'm more mad at, myself or those dickheaded kids."

She caught the smile Jean was trying to hide out of the corner of her eye as her friend spoke, "Maybe be mad at the kids, not yourself, Alice. This wasn't your fault and we also don't have the whole story yet. So, let's take a breather and be there for Anna."

Alice nodded, knowing Jean was right. Tears gathered in her eyes and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand, "What if-?"

"What, Alice?" her friend smoothed a hand up and down her back - her voice soft.

"What if Welfare finds out and… and they take Anna away?"

"Alice, we don't know the whole story, but knowing Anna and knowing you, she'd never use violence unless it was in self-defence. Breathe, and then let's go see Anna."

Alice nodded and wiped away a few stray tears before turning to the interview room. She straightened her spine -  _be there for Anna, everything else can wait_ , she thought - and opened the door.

Lucien knelt next to the chair Anna sat in - gently checking applying a bit of gauze to her daughter's forehead and explaining what he did in a soft and calm voice. Sergeant Hobart sat across the table from them, silently watching it all with an almost soft look. Anna looked up when the door opened and ran towards her.

" _Mumma_!"

She fell to her knees, ignoring the bruising pain as Anna threw her arms tight around her neck and began crying. Alice held her daughter just as tight - her thoughts and emotions running amok as they warred over worry for Anna, elation at what Anna called her, and anger at the people who hurt her daughter simmering underneath. A few tears of her own slipped out as Anna continued to sob in her arms, Alice wiped them away; gingerly standing with Anna still in her arms, she faced Lucien and Sergeant Hobart.

" _What. Happened_ ," Alice demanded, her voice dangerously quiet.

"We're still getting the details, Dr. Harvey," Hobart answered. "Boss and Charlie are interviewing the other kids, but it seems Anna was involved in a fight at Ballarat West under the stairwell. We don't know who started it, but she got a few good knocks in. I was waiting until you got here and her injuries seen to before getting Miss Harvey's statement."

Alice nodded - a strange sense of pride and despair at the fact her daughter was involved in a fight. "What do you mean by a 'few good knocks', Sergeant?"

"She bloodied a kid's nose," he shrugged with a hint of a smile (Lucien didn't bother hiding his). "As far as I can tell, Miss Harvey was defending a classmate."

(The pride was starting to outweigh the despair)

"Anna?" Alice smoothed a hand up and down her daughter's back - the tears starting to subside. "Are you feeling well enough to tell Sergeant Hobart what happened at school today?"

"Yes, Mumma."

Sitting down across from Hobart, Alice wiped away the tears on Anna's face with her handkerchief - gentle around the forming black eye and welts on her cheeks. Anna sat patiently as Alice inspected the injuries with a concerned frown, the girl curling up on her lap as Hobart started his questions.

Anna answered them as best she could, relaxing back against Alice the more comfortable she got as the questions continued. She abruptly turned to Alice in the middle of the interview, "Mumma, my tooth is loose!"

"Your tooth? Which one?" Her daughter pointed it out, and sure enough one of her front teeth moved. "How did that happen?"

Anna shrugged, "Maybe when I bit Bruce?"

"You  _bit_ -" Alice cut herself off and rubbed a hand over her face; Lucien started to laugh, but at Alice's (and Jean's) sharp look he quickly covered it with a cough.

"Are you mad at me?" Anna whispered.

"No, Anna, I'm not mad at you. I'm proud that you stood up for a classmate, but maybe next time this happens… no biting."

"Okay."

"And no fighting."

"Yes, Mumma."

She held Anna close, breathing in the faint scent of her perfume (Anna saw her dabbing it on this morning and wanted some too, Alice obliged her with a tiny bit) mixing with the scent of fresh gauze and antiseptic. Pressing a kiss to the top of Anna's head, Alice sighed.

"Mumma?"

"Yes, Anna?"

"Can we go home?"

Alice looked up at Hobart and then Lucien.

The police surgeon shrugged, "I don't see why not, Alice. Just be careful of her scalp if Anna has a bath."

"I will. Sergeant?"

"I have what I need for the Boss, Doc - though he might want to see you before you go."

"I'll stop by downstairs." Alice let Anna slide off her lap and stood from the chair. "And Sergeant Hobart, thank you."

He shrugged, "We got there at the right time, Doc."

Anna rounded the table and hugged the unsuspecting police sergeant, "Thank you, Sergeant Bill."

"You're, uh… you're welcome, Miss Harvey," Hobart gingerly patted her shoulder as she smiled up at him. "Try to stay out of trouble from now on, hm?"

"I promise!" Anna offered her pinky and this time it was Alice who had to hide a smile as her daughter hooked Sergeant Hobart's pinky and shook on it.

"Ready to go home, Anna?" Jean handed over Anna's cardigan.

"Yes, Auntie Jean," Anna answered as Alice helped her back into the cardigan. She took Alice's hand after taking her school bag from Lucien on the way out. Jean led the way back downstairs - Anna sticking close to Alice as they stopped by the front desk again.

"Thank you, Constable," Alice smiled at Ned as Jean went to go get some tea. "Sergeant Hobart said you showed up with him and Sergeant Davis."

"Yes, Doc," Ned nodded. "I simply helped break it up."

"Well, thank you anyway."

"Yes, thank you, Constable Ned." Anna piped up from Alice's side.

"You're welcome, Miss Anna."

Alice smiled down at her daughter and then looked back up at Ned. "Is… the superintendent at his desk?"

"Yes, Dr. Harvey. He said you could go on through once you were done upstairs."

"Thank you, Constable," Alice nodded. She and Anna headed down the hallway - Anna telling Alice about all she learned that day as they walked.

They were about halfway to Matthew's desk when another woman marched up to Alice - she jabbed a finger in Alice's shoulder. "Your daughter broke my son's nose!"

"Excuse me?"

"Your  _brat_  broke my poor boy's nose!"

Alice pushed Anna towards Jean (who'd come to investigate the raised voices along with others in the station). "First of all, she only bloodied his nose from what I heard, and second of all, your  _poor boy_  is a bully to others."

" _Lies!_ " The woman (Alice assumed it was Bruce MacArthur's mother) shoved at Alice, who winced when her shoulder caught the sharp edge of a doorway.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Matthew's voice carried down the hallway, followed quickly by the man himself.

Alice rubbed at her shoulder as the woman went on a tirade - against Anna, against Alice, against the " _poor injustice done to her boy_ " - and Matthew watched her with an irritated look on his face.

"Look, Mrs. MacArthur," he interrupted. "You might believe your son is innocent, but I have statements from two victims,  _as well as his mates_ , that tell me otherwise. Your son started a fight and got hurt in the process. Maybe tell him that if he can't take a beating, he shouldn't dole them out on those weaker than him."

"Well I  _never_ -!"

"With what Miss Harvey has gone through in her short life, I personally think she held back with your son," Matthew snapped. "I'll be speaking to the school about his behavior tomorrow, but in the meantime if I hear of any more  _incidents_  involving him and violence, I'll let him enjoy a night in our cells. And if you lay a hand on Dr. Harvey again, you'll be in the cell next to him. Am I clear?"

"You can't-!"

"I can, Mrs. MacArthur!" He stepped forward. "Your son toes the line or I have a word with the headmaster at Ballarat West.  _You_  refrain from violence yourself or you'll be downstairs in a cell, got it? Now, get your boy and get out of my station."

Mrs. MacArthur left in a huff with her son and the normal cacophony of the Ballarat police station returned. Matthew walked up to her - eyes trained on the way she rubbed at her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Alice sighed even before he could ask. "I think it's just bruised."

"It didn't feel fine," he raised his eyebrows and she smiled. "But, you're the doctor."

"Too right."

He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, "Let Lucien look at it if it's not feeling better, hm?"

"I will, if only for the fact that you'll know if I'm lying."

* * *

Matthew kissed her again and smiled down at Anna, "Well, Miss Harvey, you've got a mean right hook."

"I learned from Mumma."

"Oh really?" His eyebrows shot up again as Alice's cheeks flushed. A sheepish smile spread across her face and Matthew had to grin. "Learned through watching her in Collingwood?"

"Yes!"

"And she told you that in the future you're not to fight?"

Anna sighed, "Yes."

Matthew smiled and sat down on a nearby bench with a groan, "Come here, Anna."

The girl looked up at Alice, who nodded, before she stood in front of him. He smiled, "As a police officer, I'm telling you that violence is not the answer. I know you only stepped in to help Gideon Kirk, but violence should always be a last resort. The next time you see someone getting bullied, you go and find a teacher or a police officer. You could have ended up much more hurt than you did, Anna, and I know your mum doesn't want that for you."

"I think she got scared," Anna whispered. "She was angry."

"Sometimes adults get angry when they're scared or when they think something's unfair. You know it wasn't your mum getting angry at you, right?"

Anna nodded.

"Good. She loves you very much, Anna. So, no more fighting, but… I know that both of us are so very proud of you for standing up for someone else."

She smiled, "Mumma says to be kind and polite, but that I have to stick up for myself and others."

"Very good advice, be sure to follow it."

"With no more fighting?"

"Yes."

"Or biting?"

Matthew chuckled, "Yes, no more biting, Anna. Now, your mum is going to take you home and maybe I'll see you at Auntie Jean's for dinner."

"Okay!" Anna hugged him tight around the neck with a grin. She stepped back to allow Alice to help Matthew to his feet.

"Everything will settle, sweetheart," Matthew smiled at Alice as Anna went over to Jean.

"I know, I know it will," Alice sighed. "I just… it was going so well, and-"

"And Anna's done well for this long. She's resilient and has a good example to learn from," he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Though, maybe  _not_  teach her more self-defence techniques just yet."

Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

" _Hey_ , who's the one back in school now?"

She just smiled as he leaned in to kiss her softly. Matthew kissed her again and again, "So… you've a new title, I see."

Alice blushed as she fought to keep the large grin off her face. "She called me mum, Matthew. Well,  _Mumma_ , but still…"

"Congratulations, sweetheart," he kissed her again. "You're a mum."

"I am… and she's my daughter."

"The punching someone in the nose to see justice done kind of gave it away."

"Oh, you…" Alice huffed as he laughed. "I'll see you later?"

"I'll let Jean know to plan for an extra two heads at dinner."

Alice kissed him one last time, "No, I'll let her know myself. Stay safe, dearest."

"You too."

Matthew watched her go with a smile and a wave to both her and Anna as they walked out of the station. The bond between the two had strengthened in the weeks since Anna's arrival in Ballarat and Matthew thought he could burst with pride at Alice's joy over being Anna's mother. He was proud of her, proud  _for_  her, and utterly happy that the two had found each other in Collingwood.

(And one day, he hoped, maybe Anna would call him Dad)


	8. Chapter 8

Alice fell back on the bed next to him - panting as hard as his heart was currently beating - and ran a hand through her hair. "The Blakes need to go on vacation more often."

He laughed, "Been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Too bloody long," she grumbled as she pulled the sheet up further over them. Propping her head on her hand, Alice smiled down at him. "Between work, Anna, and everything else we haven't really had time for each other lately."

"We also haven't exactly had privacy," Matthew tucked some of her hair behind her ear with a smile. "You and Anna are still sharing a bedroom while you look for a new place to live, and people come and go here all the time - Lucien and Jean have the lovely blessing of an extra room between them and the rest of the house."

"It only took waiting until Jean and Lucien headed to Melbourne for a long weekend, your day off, me taking an afternoon off, and Charlie on a long couple of shifts to get it."

Matthew laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I think we're the ones who need the vacation, sweetheart."

"A vacation sounds heavenly."

"Maybe I'll look into one when work dies down a little."

She combed her fingers through his hair, "What were you thinking?"

"I dunno… trip to the seaside? We could go alone or bring Anna with us if school's out on break. For a week?"

"I like that idea."

"I like the idea of you in bathers."

Alice laughed as he pulled her close, "Are you never satisfied?"

"With you?  _Never_." Matthew rolled her beneath him - kissing and nipping at her neck and chest. She wound her arms around his shoulders as he settled between her thighs and trailed kisses up to her mouth.

"Matthew," Alice sighed into his kiss - arching up into his touch as he smoothed his hands down her sides. " _Matthew._ "

"Yes?"

"Don't tease," she kissed him. "You know I have to go pick up Anna from school soon."

"How long until then?"

"About an hour."

"Plenty of time then," Matthew grinned as Alice just shook her head with a fond smile. "I'm kidding, sweetheart. How about we take a shower and get dressed again, I'll get some tea going after that."

" _We_  take a shower?"

"Well… yeah," Matthew kissed her neck. "I've trouble balancing sometimes and maybe having someone there will help."

He could feel Alice's laughter under his mouth as he kissed the soft skin of her throat. She pulled him up for a kiss and rolled them to the side, "You are a devious man, Matthew."

"Only with you, sweetheart, only with you."

Alice just kissed him again and got up from the bed, laughing as he pulled her back down into his arms. Almost one hour exactly later, Matthew smiled as she rushed out the door with a hurried kiss (after he'd pulled her back for another one), make up redone, her hair still slightly damp and curling at the ends, all while muttering about being late for picking up Anna from school.

Matthew whistled as he started on the tea - pulling out some of Jean's biscuits to go along with - and settled down at the kitchen table with the afternoon edition of  _The Courier_. The day off had been nice (the afternoon with Alice even better) and sorely needed; life had been a bit chaotic lately, but it was good, and Matthew planned on taking advantage of that as long as possible.

* * *

Jean walked down the hallway - her heels tapping on the linoleum as she approached the bullpen. Peering around the doorway, she breathed a sigh when she saw both her husband and Matthew standing in front of his desk.

"Jean!" Lucien saw her first and she matched his smile. "Something you need?"

"Maybe," Jean slowed to a stop in front of both of them. "I just had a call from Ballarat West, Anna didn't show up for school today."

"Really?"

"Yes, have you seen Alice today? The school said they couldn't reach her at home or the morgue, so that's why they called our house."

"I haven't been to the morgue or the hospital today," her husband shook his head as Matthew reached behind him for the phone.

Jean watched as Matthew dialed Alice's flat number, the frown on his face deepening when the call went unanswered.

"Let me go check her flat, before we jump to conclusions."

"Thank you, Jean, you'll keep us informed?"

"Of course. I'll call when I find out more." Giving Lucien a short kiss (and one on the cheek for Matthew), Jean left the station and headed to Alice's flat. Using the spare key, she quietly entered and called out Alice's name. She heard something coming from the bathroom and headed that way.

"Alice?" Jean popped her head into the bathroom just in time to see her friend hold back Anna's hair as the girl threw up into the toilet - Alice winced and looked a little green around the gills herself as she soothed her daughter. "Ah… that explains it."

"Jean," Alice tried to smile, her voice raw and hoarse. "I wouldn't come too close, I think it's the flu."

"The school called and wondered where Anna was. You hadn't answered your phone."

She wiped Anna's mouth and let her rinse with a glass of water - her hands shaking as she flushed the toilet. "I… I forgot to call them. We've been up since late last night."

"You've been here all night?"

Alice nodded as Jean walked into the bathroom and put a hand on her clammy forehead - frowning at the heat of Alice's skin (Anna's was the same).

"Alice, why didn't you call?"

She shrugged and handed the drowsy Anna off to Jean as she leaned forward and threw up. Alice grimaced as she spit and rinsed out her mouth, "I'm just so tired, Jean… and I know Anna is too. I don't know what to do."

Jean smoothed her hand in circles on Alice's back as her friend cried from exhaustion and the general stress of being under the weather. "It's alright, Alice, it's alright. Let me go call Lucien and Matthew and we'll figure out what to do. You're both tired and probably dehydrated from being sick, let us help."

Alice sniffled and wiped away her tears with shaking hands, "Alright… alright."

"Good. Now, you and Anna pop back into bed and then I'll let the boys know that you're not dead or missing."

Her friend snorted. "Can you… can you help me, Jean? I don't know if I can stand for long."

"Of course, let me put Anna in her bed and I'll come back for you."

"No, stay with Mumma," Anna whispered.

"Anna, my girl, go with Auntie Jean," Alice leaned over and smoothed back Anna's hair from her forehead. "You can put her in my bed, Jean, she's a cuddler when she's not feeling well."

"I'll be right back," Jean smiled. Hoisting Anna up into her arms as she stood, Jean tucked the girl in Alice's bed with a soft kiss to her forehead and returned to help Alice walk the short distance from the toilet to the bed.

"Thank you, Jean," Alice sighed as she sat on the edge while Jean pulled back the covers.

"Of course. I'll get you some water, you stay here while I call Lucien and Matthew."

Alice nodded and sipped gingerly at the water Jean provided her; Jean watched her closely for a few seconds before the pathologist settled down in the bed - her daughter instantly curling into her arms.

Smiling, Jean walked to the phone and called the station, "Jean Blake for Chief Superintendent Lawson, please."

" _Jean,_ " Matthew answered almost immediately. " _Are Alice and Anna alright?_ "

"Alice thinks they have the flu, she didn't have the chance to call the school or the hospital between bouts of throwing up. They've been next to the toilet all night."

" _Bloody hell_ ," Matthew sighed. " _Does she need anything?_ "

"I'd like Lucien to come and get a look at them, and then I'd like to take them home. Both of them need rest and looking after - it'd be easier if they were staying with us at the house."

She heard him and other people talking on the other end, " _Lucien and Charlie are on their way, Jean. Lucien said to try and get them to have some water, and Charlie will help get them home._ "

"Thank you, Matthew. Are you coming as well?"

" _No, unfortunately I'll have to stay here until the end of my shift. Could you…_?"

"Yes?"

" _Could you tell Alice I love her and I'll see her before dinner?_ "

"Of course, Matthew."

" _Good, I'll take some time off after today to give you a hand with them._ "

"I'm sure they'd like that. I'll see you at home."

Matthew said his goodbyes and Jean hung up the phone. Going back to Alice's room, she checked on both girls.

"What did they say?" Alice asked.

"Lucien's coming over to take a look at both of you and then we're taking you home. It'll be easier for all of us; I can care for you two, and you and Anna can concentrate on getting better without worrying about food or medical care."

"That's a good idea."

"Yeah," Jean smiled. "Charlie's coming with Lucien to help get you home. Matthew said he'd see you after dinner and that he loves you."

Her friend's cheeks flushed as a soft smile crossed her face; Alice turned her face into the pillow as Jean squeezed her shoulder.

"I'll get a suitcase for you and Anna together. Any special requests?"

"Anna's bear, and the small quilt on top of the wardrobe please, other than that I'm not picky. Anna, besides your bear do you want to bring anything to Auntie Jean and Uncle Lucien's home?"

Anna yawned and mumbled something to Alice, who smiled. "She said to make sure to pack  _Anne of Green Gables_ , we just started reading it this week. It's on the coffee table out in the parlor."

"I'll go get it straight away then. I'm going to go unlock the door for Lucien and Charlie, you two try to drink some of that water."

"Can you leave a bucket by the bed?" Alice gave her a wry smile and Jean chuckled.

"Just try it, Alice. If we can't keep the two of you hydrated, we might have to send you to hospital."

Alice made a face and sat up far enough to sip at the water. "If you have anything ginger flavored at home, that would probably help us both."

"I'll see if I have some tea made with it, but I do have mint tea. When we get you two settled, I'll make some ginger biscuits for you and Anna to nibble on."

"Thank you, Jean."

"Of course, my dear Alice." Patting Alice's cheek with a smile, Jean packed a suitcase for Alice and Anna each - making sure Anna's bear was tucked into one and the book into the other with the quilt folded over top of them both. She was just pulling down Alice and Anna's dressing gowns when there was a knock at the front door followed by Lucien's familiar call of her name.

"Back here, Lucien!"

Her husband smiled as he appeared in the doorway - Charlie peering over his shoulder in the background. "I hear I have to make a house call."

"Yes, we're both ready to be poked and prodded," Alice told him dryly from the bed, making Lucien laugh.

"Always a pleasure, Dr. Harvey. Let's take a look, shall we?" Lucien entered the bedroom while Jean directed Charlie to take the cases and quilt to the car. "Now, Alice, what are the symptoms?"

Alice rattled them off as Lucien coaxed Anna to open her mouth for the thermometer; he checked Anna's pulse and then Alice's while they waited for the thermometer to finish.

"Are you sure it's the flu, Alice? Not… another reason for you to feel this way?" Lucien asked (in a tone that Jean recognized was his most mischievous) as he checked the reading of Anna's temperature.

Confusion crossed the pathologist's face before something clicked in her brain and she just glared at Lucien over the top of Anna's head, "Not funny, Lucien."

"I'm just saying, it's a possibility."

"Anna has the flu and I got it from her, there's  _no other reason_ , Lucien, so stop it."

Lucien held up his hands as he chuckled, "Alright, alright, I'm just teasing. It's definitely the flu. Rest, fluids, and making sure your temperatures don't get too high is all we can do at the moment. I'll pick up some things from the hospital that might help after I cover the rest of your shift at the morgue. Jean told you that you'll be coming to our house?"

Alice nodded, "She said it'd be easier for her to take care of us."

"Too right," he patted her hand. "Jean will take Anna to the car, but do you think you can walk on your own?"

"I'd like to try."

Jean smiled and scooped Anna up out of the bed with one of the blankets - gently shushing the girl when she protested. Carrying her out to the car, Jean nodded her thanks when Charlie opened the back for her.

"Lucien's coming out with Alice soon, thank you for doing this, Charlie."

"Not a problem, Mrs. B," the sergeant smiled. "I'm sure we'll hear the bickering before we see them."

Jean laughed and slid into the backseat, Anna leaning up against her. It wasn't too long before Lucien walked out the front door - supporting Alice on the way. When she stumbled going down the front stairs, Lucien swept her off her feet (ignoring her protests) and gently put her down in the car next to Jean.

"There you are, Alice," her husband adjusted the blanket around Alice as she frowned. "It'll be a short trip home, but if you need to stop for any reason, tell us."

Alice nodded and laid her head back on the seat as Lucien ran back into the flat to retrieve his medical bag and lock up. Without further ado, Charlie pulled away from the curb and drove the short distance to 7 Mycroft Avenue. Lucien had to carry Alice into the house - setting her down on the bed of his old room near the front door.

"It won't be as quiet as elsewhere in the house, but it's the only other room on the first floor, Alice."

"It's fine, Lucien," Alice shivered as he pulled back the covers. Jean helped him - Charlie cradling Anna in his arms as the Blakes got the bed ready; Alice slid beneath the covers and opened her arms for her daughter. Charlie eased Anna down onto the bed with a smile.

"Go, Lucien, I've got her," Jean patted his upper arm. "I'm sure Matthew is waiting for an update, and the two of you need to go back to work."

"Let us know if anything happens, hm?"

She nodded and waved as he and Charlie left. Turning back to Alice and Anna, Jean drew the covers up further around them, folding Alice's quilt on top of their legs, and tucked them in - Anna was already fast asleep and Alice nodded off in the middle of thanking Jean.

"Sleep well," Jean kissed Alice's forehead.

* * *

Matthew walked into the guest room as quietly as he could. Alice stirred in the bed and he smiled when he saw the red lipstick print on her forehead in the faint afternoon light. Settling on the edge of the bed, Matthew smoothed Anna's hair out of her face and gently cupped Alice's cheek when she stirred again.

Alice opened her eyes and it took her a minute to focus on him through the fever and tears, "Hi."

"Hey there, sweetheart," he whispered. "I heard from a little bird that my girls are sick."

She chuckled and closed her eyes, "Was that bird an obnoxious one by the name of Lucien Blake?"

"What did he do this time?"

"Suggested that there was a different reason for me feeling this way," Alice grumbled. "The nerve of that man."

"Well," Matthew pulled back the collar of her pajamas and smiled at the still healing love bites on her shoulder and chest. "It was an honest question."

"At my age? No thank you. Anna's more than enough."

He laughed lightly, "I hope you put him straight, sweetheart."

"Oh, I did. He won't try that again, I can promise you that."

"That's my girl," Matthew kissed her cheek. "Jean's making some tea and the ginger biscuits are nearly done cooling. She says if you can handle the tea or tea and the biscuits, she'll let you and Anna have soup."

"What kind?"

"Chicken noodle, I think."

Alice grimaced, "I know I need to eat, but…"

"Food doesn't sound appetizing right now, does it."

"Not really."

"It will again," he kissed her cheek and then the heated skin of her forehead. "You just concentrate on feeling better."

Alice smiled as Anna stirred and abruptly sat up, "Oh no."

"I've got it." Matthew stood and rounded the bed as Anna whimpered; hoisting her up with one arm, he carried her to the bathroom. "Jean!"

"On it!" Jean's heels echoed down the hall towards the bedroom while Matthew set Anna down in front of the toilet. He held back the girl's hair as what little she had in her stomach made a return - soothing her when she started crying.

"I know, Anna, I know it's awful," Matthew pulled a stool over and sat down with a groan. He continued to soothe and comfort the little girl through this next bout of sickness. When she was done, Matthew handed her a small glass of water and wiped her mouth. As Anna rinsed out her mouth (dribbling some of the water onto her pajamas), Matthew ran a brush through her hair and gently untangled it.

"Do you want one braid or two?"

"You know how to do it?" Anna asked - her feverish eyes wide and curious.

"I do, I helped sometimes when Rose was young. Often I was the only one who did them to her liking besides her mum." Matthew grinned at Anna's giggles.

"One please."

"Alright, keep sipping at that water and I'll braid your hair."

Brushing her hair again, Matthew gathered up the soft strands and began a simple three-strand braid - pulling the sandy blonde hair away from Anna's face as he worked.

Jean knocked on the doorjamb as he neared the end, "Just checking in here, everything alright?"

"I think so," Matthew nodded. "Alice alright?"

"Worried about Anna, but she thankfully didn't get sick. I put a couple of basins by the bed - one on either side in case they can't make it to the toilet. I'll get you a ribbon for Anna's hair."

"Thank you, Jean." He tied off the braid with a lopsided bow when Jean brought back the ribbon. "There we are, Anna. Feeling better?"

She yawned and nodded, "Mumma?"

"She's alright. Let's go back to her, hm?"

"Will you read the story?"

"Of course." Standing, Matthew smiled when Anna held up her arms. Jean lifted her up for him and helped him shift Anna in his hold until he could carry her unaided; Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder - he could feel the heat of her forehead through his shirt.

He hoped these fevers would break soon, it didn't do either of them any good on top of being able to keep very little down for long. Carrying Anna back to the guest room, Matthew set her down on the bed next to Alice - who immediately checked over her daughter, regardless of the fact that her own hands shook and she could barely keep her eyes open through the exhaustion.

"She's alright, Alice," Matthew soothed her. "We made it to the toilet in time and she managed some water before we came back here."

"Matthew said he'd read the story," Anna told her mum.

Alice smiled and pulled her close, "We're in for a treat then."

"Which story do you want?"

"We've been reading  _Anne of Green Gables_ , dearest," Alice nodded to the book on the bedside table.

Picking it up, Matthew smiled, "Ah… a good one from what I heard. Let me know if either of you need anything during the story, okay?"

"I will."

Kissing Alice's cheek and then Anna's flushed one, Matthew sat in a chair by their bed and opened the book to the marked page. Jean came in with a tray of tea and ginger biscuits sometime into the story; she checked and noted their temperatures as Anna sat enthralled with Matthew's voice - nibbling on a ginger biscuit at her mother's urging while Alice sipped at the tea. He watched Alice struggle to keep her eyes open, her eyelids falling heavy and the hand smoothing up and down Anna's back slowed to a stop. Anna soon followed, so he softly marked where they stopped in the book and closed it.

Standing with a soft kiss to their foreheads, Matthew slipped out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen.

"Asleep?" Jean asked as she sliced up some carrots for the soup.

Matthew sat with a sigh at the kitchen table, "Yeah, Alice dropped off first, then Anna. I'm worried about the fevers."

"It's the body's way of fighting off the flu, unfortunately. I'm keeping an eye on it - and a log - if the fever persists past tomorrow night or if the temperature increases, we'll have to take them into the hospital. We'll keep them cool, keep them comfortable until Lucien comes home. He'll know what to give them to help. It has been some time since both Anna and Alice got sick, so I think they might be able to stomach the soup if they don't get sick between now and dinner."

"Good, that's good."

Jean squeezed his hand, "We'll take care of them, Matthew. Having them here takes one more worry off Alice's mind so she can concentrate on getting better."

"She's still worried about Anna."

"The first time a child gets seriously sick is scary for new mothers," Jean smiled. "I was the same with my boys. She'll be fine."

"God, I hope so."

"She will be. Now, are you up for helping me finish this soup?"

Matthew nodded, "Just so long as you don't make me wear an apron."

"Just for that, Matthew," Jean waved her knife at him, "I'm requiring it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domesticity, just all the domesticity, as we finally reach 5.05 with this story. (accurate timeline? what accurate timeline)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is also the second to last chapter of Anna's story! hard to believe, but I hope you've enjoyed meeting Anna as much as I've had fun writing her. This isn't the last you'll see of her, I've got plenty more planned for her and this AU in the next installment: Wounds No One Can See
> 
> but first, to finish this story and the Baby Lawson AU, so without further ado, enjoy!

"Anna's here, Alice," Matthew peered around the door to the morgue and saw his soulmate rolling the body of Vern Armstrong into the freezer.

"I'm glad I just put Mr. Armstrong put away," she smiled and closed the freezer.

Matthew smiled back and opened the morgue door further so Anna could walk in; it widened when Anna ran to hug her mother and Alice lifted the girl up into her arms.

"Did you have a good day at school today?"

"Yes! My tooth fell out!"

"Oh dear," Alice frowned at the gap in Anna's smile (and the slightly bloodied tooth in Anna's handkerchief). "Did it hurt?"

"No, Mumma, it happened at lunch. Gideon said I needed to keep it for the tooth fairy."

Matthew bit back a laugh at the confused - and wide-eyed - look Alice threw over her shoulder at him.

"I'm sure Auntie Jean will help you put it somewhere the tooth fairy can find, Anna," he helped her out.

"Yes, Auntie Jean will know. What else happened at school today?" Alice nodded and put Anna down on the autopsy table (" _It's been cleaned, Matthew, don't give me that look."_ ) as the girl chattered away about what she was learning.

"We get to start science experiments soon, Mumma!"

"Oh really?" Alice asked as Matthew joined them at the table. "What kind?"

"Growing bean plants! We have to watch it, write down a lot of different things, and take care of it. Do you think Auntie Jean will let me put mine in the sunroom?"

"I'm sure she'd be very open to it, my girl," Alice kissed Anna's forehead. "Let me finish putting the clean equipment away and then we'll move the last of our boxes from the flat into the garage."

"How'd work go today?" Matthew asked as Anna watched her mother put away the tools and specimen jars.

"Lucien started the autopsy without me!"

"How dare he," Matthew winked at Anna, who giggled. Alice just frowned at him over her shoulder. "Did he at least apologize?"

"He did, but I'm still irritated at him."

"Well, you can certainly let him know tonight when he gets home for dinner."

Alice finished and rounded the autopsy table with a smile, "I'm still getting used to living with you and the Blakes. I know Jean suggested it as a stop gap measure while Anna and I were recovering from the flu at the end of my rental agreement, but I'm worried we're taking advantage of it all."

"Not at all, sweetheart," Matthew kissed her and pulled her close. "Jean never would have offered if she didn't feel like she could handle it. Besides, you're paying rent and helping out around the house, so it's not like you're living there for free."

" _Discounted_  rent, I'm not paying what I should be, Matthew, and you know it. It should be more since I'm paying for two rooms. Though, one is pretty much for show."

He grinned - Alice slept in his bed most nights, "I'm also not paying a lot, Alice, but they refuse to take more. Think of it as incentive to find your own place that much faster."

She sighed and leaned into his side, smiling when Anna scooted closer to hug her. "Alright… alright, I'll start looking at houses on the market more after this case. I love our friends, Matthew, but that house is getting a little crowded with all of us there."

He laughed and kissed her forehead, "Yeah it is, I'm missing the quiet of your flat already."

Alice hummed and kissed him before lifting Anna down from the table. "Alright, let's go move those boxes, Anna, and then we'll bug Auntie Jean about this tooth fairy."

"Yes!"

"I'll see you at home, sweetheart," Matthew pulled her back for one last kiss after they left the morgue (and then one for Anna on her forehead when she tugged on his uniform jacket). "I've got some interviews to do."

"Stay safe, I love you."

"I love you too," he kissed her again and watched her and Anna go with a smile.

* * *

Matthew closed the front door with a sigh he felt in his bones. Rubbing at his burning eyes and struggling to hold back tears, he hung up his hat before seeking out the two people he needed to see. The talk with Florence Bowman touched on feelings he hadn't felt in a long time, not since he got out from under his father's thumb and left for the police academy, not since the old man had died a few months before Rose's birth.

He hadn't thought of his father in months, and yet everywhere he looked in this case dredged up memories. As Florence relayed the depth of her husband's gambling, Matthew fought back the tears he wanted to shed - for her, for her children, for his own sister and their lost childhood.

(No child should have to go hungry or cold because their parent couldn't stop throwing money away at the off chance they'd get rich quick.)

Sighing again, Matthew walked through the first floor of the Blake house as he searched for Alice and Anna. Voices - animated and warm - drew him out into the backyard, where he stopped and smiled at his girls laying on a blanket in the dappled shade of a tree; Alice read from a book, intentionally being over dramatic for Anna's enjoyment, and his smile widened when he saw the crudely made flower crowns both wore.

"Ah, Matthew," Jean smiled as she walked towards him with a few trimmings from the herb garden, a flower crown of her own perched on top of her chestnut curls. "Finally home?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Why don't you go change out of your uniform before you say hello?" Jean squeezed his forearm and gave him a motherly pat on the cheek. "You'll be more comfortable."

"Nah, I'd like to say hello first, but thank you."

"Dinner should be ready soon, I'll leave you to it."

Matthew smiled and limped out to the blanket, sneaking up on the two Harvey girls until his shadow fell across the book.

"Matthew!" Anna scrambled to her feet and threw her arms around his waist in a hug. He gently patted her back before she pulled him towards the blanket.

"Hello, Anna, is there room for one more?"

"Yes, but shoes off please."

Dutifully, he toed off his work shoes and sat down next to Alice with a sigh; Matthew unbuttoned his uniform jacket and folded it at the edge of the blanket. Anna hugged him properly once he was done and he held her close - seeking comfort in the unabashed joy Anna brought to the house and his life. Matthew scrubbed at his face again when the girl drew back to go hunt for more flowers (he apparently was joining in on the flower crown trend).

Alice's cool hand rested on the back of his neck, kneading at some of the tension at the base of his skull. "Long day?"

"Yeah," he whispered and turned to her.

Alice smiled as she wiped away his tears with her thumb, "Want to talk about it?"

"This case… it's brought up a lot. I thought I'd put it behind me, but… evidently not."

She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss, nuzzling his nose with hers. "Unfortunately the past never really leaves us, dearest, and some days are better than others. You're not like your father, Matthew; you've worked so hard to be better than him, I know you have."

"I just… I know that, but talking with Florence Bowman today and everything with the gambling and the Bowmans struggling to make ends meet because of the husband's addiction is… it hit close to home. I remember what it's like, Alice, to have to gauge my father's mood before talking to him, to see my mother not eat just so Vera and I could have a decent shot at a meal… I hated it. I hated it and I never wanted to see another family affected the way ours was… my father's gambling and McAvoy's bullying were the main reasons I became a copper."

Alice pulled him into her arms and held tight; Matthew buried his face in the crook of her neck - comforted by the familiar scent of her perfume and antiseptic from the hospital as he let the tears fall. Stealing his arms around her waist, Matthew leaned into Alice's embrace, taking the silent comfort she offered.

The longer he spent in her arms, the better he felt; he cracked a smile when Anna whispered a question to Alice.

"Is Matthew okay, Mumma?"

"He had a not so great day at work, Anna. I'm helping him with it."

"Can I help too?"

Alice must have nodded because he soon felt the girl wriggle her way onto his lap - tucking herself under his chin and hugging as tight as she could around his torso. Matthew curled an arm around Anna's back and kissed the top of her head. Pressing a kiss to Alice's cheek, he rested his forehead against the side of her head.

He was ever so grateful for his girls; Matthew couldn't have asked for a better soulmate in Alice - she knew what he needed, when he needed it, and understood him in a way that no one else on Earth would. Anna, lovely Miss Anna, reminded him so much of Alice and Rose; she looked so much like a younger version of his sister that he often caught himself thinking of Anna as his actual daughter with Alice.

' _You could make that come true_ ,' the voice in the back of his head - the one that had reared its head since Alice stayed with him in Melbourne months ago. ' _All it would take is a question and a ring_.'

He'd like that idea, and he was sure Alice would be open to it, but it wasn't the right time. Alice and Anna were still settling into life at 7 Mycroft Avenue - still adjusting to being mum and daughter - and he wouldn't crowd in on that. Matthew kissed Alice's cheek again and held her and Anna close - content to stay here as long as he could until the real world interrupted them - daydreaming about a future house with a singular name on the mailbox: Lawson.

When Jean came out to call them in for dinner, Matthew lay with his head in Alice's lap - a lopsided flower crown of his own - as Alice ran her fingers through his hair while he read aloud  _Anne of Avonlea_  to Anna.

* * *

He saw the flash of lightning through the curtains - bright on the ceiling and followed quickly by the dull rumbling thunder. Their first spring storm rolled overhead, and while Matthew usually found comfort in the sound of rain and thunder, this time sleep eluded him.

The hinges of his bedroom door squeaked as it swung open slowly and Matthew squinted in the gloom to make out who stood in the doorway. Anna clutched her bear to her chest as tight as she could, her blonde hair falling out of its braid, and she stealthily approached the bed.

"What is it, Anna?" he whispered - careful not to disturb the still sleeping Alice in bed next to him.

"Scared."

"Storm?" Anna nodded and Matthew gingerly pulled back the covers as he sat up. "I know just what to do, c'mon."

He grabbed his cane and torch - Anna grabbing his free hand tight - and led the girl out of his bedroom towards the parlor. She clung to his leg as Matthew perused the bookshelf (if it wasn't here, he'd have to go into Lucien's study). Finding the book he wanted, Matthew pulled it off the shelf.

"Why is it so loud?" Anna asked - flinching when a particularly loud boom echoed over top of them.

"Well, my mum always told me that God and the angels were up there bowling - that the thunder was the bowling ball rolling down the lane and the lightning was the ball striking the pins."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he winked down at her. "But I think we can find a better explanation for it in the morning. In the meantime… would you like to hear about pirates?"

Anna nodded eagerly and Matthew smiled. Handing her the book, Matthew guided her back to his bedroom, where Alice was still blissfully asleep. He quietly picked Anna up and tucked her under the covers before he squeezed in next to her; Anna squirmed around a bit (Matthew held his breath, hoping Anna wouldn't wake her mother) before she settled against his shoulder as he reclined against the headboard. Satisfied Anna was comfortable, Matthew reached over for the torch and opened the book.

" _Chapter one, The Old Sea-Dog at the Admiral Benbow. Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not lifted…_ "

* * *

Soft, barely there touches against his skin woke him, and Matthew blinked in the sunlight streaming through the curtains. Rubbing at his eyes, he grunted softly at the torch and still open book on his chest; he must have fallen asleep while reading to Anna. Anna's tousled blonde head still rested against his shoulder and he gingerly put the book and torch to the side before looking to his left to Alice.

The soft, fond look as she watched both of them warmed his heart. Her fingers were light against his cheek and Matthew silently pressed a kiss to the scars on her palm as she smiled.

"Good morning," Alice whispered.

"G'morning, Alice. Sleep well?"

His soulmate nodded, "Even when I woke to little feet pushing against my back."

Matthew looked down to see Anna sprawled from his shoulder across Alice's waist and chuckled.

"Did she come in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, the storm scared her. I think it's a lot louder upstairs than down here; I was already awake so we started reading  _Treasure Island_."

"Must not have been too entertaining, you fell asleep with the book still open," Alice teased. "Either that or you're getting old."

"Watch who you're calling old," Matthew frowned even as she leaned over and kissed his forehead, followed by a kiss to his lips over Anna's head. "You're not that much younger than me, sweetheart."

"Yes, but you're my old man."

He shook his head with a fond smile as she giggled. Mornings like this were his favorites - a calm port in the chaotic storm life could be - and Matthew wanted to stay here forever. Unfortunately, they couldn't; He could hear Jean walk past the door and soon her usual morning noise in the kitchen roused Anna from her sleep.

"Good morning, Anna," Alice smoothed the girl's hair from her eyes as her daughter yawned.

"Morning, Mumma," Anna rubbed her eyes and blinked owlishly. "Mumma, Matthew said we could find a better explanation for thunderstorms today, can we?"

"Of course, I'm sure Uncle Lucien has a few books on weather here. If not, we'll go check the library today."

"Matthew come too?" She turned to him - her eyes pleading.

He squeezed Anna's shoulder with a smile, "Unfortunately, Anna, I have work today. But, I look forward to you telling me all about it once I get back."

"Okay!"

Alice ushered her daughter from the bed (turning back to grab the stuffed bear from the depths of the covers) as he stood. Grabbing a quick kiss from both of his girls, Matthew smiled as they trooped out to the kitchen still in their pajamas. He wished he could join them on what sounded like was going to be an adventurous day, but the Armstrong case still had work to be done. As he pulled on his uniform and mentally settled into his role of Chief Superintendent, Matthew hoped they'd wrap it up soon.

After all, he and Anna had barely scratched the surface with  _Treasure Island_  and he was just as eager as her to return to the story.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here we are! the last chapter of The Most Room, but certainly not the last of this universe. thank you all for sticking with me through this universe and Anna's story, I've definitely enjoyed writing this and I look forward to writing the next installment with this little found family. - Dee

Jean eyed the empty seat at the head of the table throughout dinner - half-expecting her husband to show up part way through with a new breakthrough in the case or a new question to ante up to the table. She'd tried to get him to tone it down lately with talk of murder and cases delayed until Anna was safely ensconced in either her toys, books, or in bed, but Jean didn't always succeed. Like a child himself sometimes, Lucien's excitement preceded his tact most of the time - which led to interesting situations, but Jean didn't mind them.

But as the clock ticked further past seven, then eight, and then nearing nine as they cleared some of the plates for dessert, Jean knew it would be another late night of waiting for Lucien to return. Alice helped her clear away the dishes from dinner - Lucien's helping kept warm on the stove - as Anna pestered Rose with questions about photography and journalism over dessert; Matthew looked on in amusement while he doled out the sweets.

"Is it too late for tea, Jean?" Alice asked as she brought the last of the plates over to the sink - Jean caught Matthew sneaking Anna an extra biscuit when he thought neither of them were looking.

(She'd get him back for that later.)

"After dishes I think, just let me get the roast pan and I'll start on them."

"Nonsense," her friend tutted and took the gloves from Jean's hands. "I'll do the dishes since you and Matthew cooked."

"But, Alice-"

"You're injured, Jean, please let me help."

With a soft ' _oh fine_ ', Jean sighed and turned back for the roast pan on the table. Just as she lifted it, a sharp and deep pain pierced her left side. She didn't hear the pan drop to the floor - clanging as her friends shot up to help - nor did she hear their alarm as she clutched at her ribs and fought to breathe through the blinding sensation.

Her only thought was for Lucien.

Something was wrong, something was dreadfully wrong.

Hands - cool and calloused - wrapped around her upper arms, "Jean?"

"Ribs - hurt," she bit out and blinked back tears.

Alice's hands squeezed her arms as she teetered on her feet. Leaning against her friend, Jean let out a shaking breath as Alice coached her through the pain. Jean latched onto Alice's voice - collected and calm through the whirlwind of her worry for her husband and the haze from whatever he currently suffered. The only incidents from him that had been worse than this were Lucien's whipping and the time he got shot all those years ago.

"Jean, may I look?"

"Yes," Jean gasped out, letting Alice gingerly pull up her shirt and half-slip to look at her ribs.

Vaguely, she heard Anna ask a question and Matthew answered promptly as Rose called the station, " _It's the echo, Anna, do you remember me and your mum telling you about it?_ "

" _Is Uncle Lucien okay?_ "

" _I don't know_ …"

Alice's fingers were gentle as she examined her ribs, "He's been stabbed."

She bit back a sarcastic response and sighed, "It's hard for him to breathe, Alice, and his heart… somehow it hurts."

"Yes, it's likely pierced the lung based on this placement and is putting too much pressure on his heart - tension pneumothorax - he'll need medical help as soon as they find-"

Jean cut her off with a cry as another sharp pain - this one less intense than the initial stabbing, it burned and throbbed for what felt like ages until the pressure surrounding her heart lessened and it got slightly easier to breathe.

"Did he just…?" Alice muttered. "Oh, I have so many questions."

" _Alice_."

"...Right."

Jean could practically hear Alice's brain churning and it almost made her laugh - instead she bit back more tears. "Any word?"

"Constable Simmons says they'd gotten reports of a disturbance at Vern Armstrong's house, Charlie and Hobart were sent out to investigate right as you felt the first pain, Jean."

"Oh, Lucien… what have you done?" Jean whispered as Alice tucked her slip and blouse back in.

"Ned said he'd call with more news."

"So, we have to wait."

"Unfortunately."

Jean sighed - the worry churning more once when the pain tapered off. "He's unconscious."

"They'll find him, Jean." Alice's hands smoothed over her upper arms, "Is there anything you want us to do while we wait?"

"I could use some help with the dishes," she tried to smile.

"I want to help too!" Anna bounded over (just bordering on running and this time Jean's smile stuck).

"You can dry, my darling," Jean tucked a couple loose strands of hair behind Anna's ear. "Think you can do that?"

"If Mumma helps, yes!"

Alice grinned and kissed her daughter's forehead, "Of course, let's pull up the step stool and help Auntie Jean with the dishes."

The dishes were quickly dealt with - Anna proving to be the best little helper Jean could ever ask for (even with all of her questions, but she was used to them by now). The familiar task calmed her and being around Alice's little girl always brought laughter and warmth; she was worried about her husband - her ear trained on the phone behind her - but the familiar bustle of cleaning up after dinner and dessert while surrounded by her loved ones helped take the edge off of it.

* * *

The phone call finally came - first from Charlie and then one from the hospital telling Jean what she already knew. Fretting with the strap of her handbag - Alice's hand a comforting weight on her back as she, Alice, and Anna walked through the halls of the hospital to Lucien's recovery room - Jean fought the urge to run in demanding to see her husband. Matthew was not with them, he'd donned his uniform again and joined Charlie at the station instead.

Pausing before his door, Jean noted (with a bit of irony) that they'd put her husband in the same room as Matthew all those months ago. Lucien lay still - the stillest she'd seen in quite some time - nearly as white as the sheets he lay on. Covering her mouth with a shaking hand, Jean swallowed back her tears.

"Jean?" Alice squeezed her shoulder. "Do you want us to go?"

"No, no, please stay," Jean covered Alice's hand with her own. "You and Anna will keep me from worrying too much."

"We'll stay as long as you want," her friend promised.

"Thank you."

Jean pulled up a chair next to Lucien's bed and cradled his hand in both of hers; she barely registered Alice pulling up another chair next to her and lifting Anna up into her lap. The girl yawned and rubbed at her eyes - up way past her usual bedtime, but Anna wanted to make sure Uncle Lucien was alright and neither Alice nor Jean had the heart to leave her back at the house.

"Is he sleeping?" Anna whispered to her mother.

"Yes," Alice cradled her close.

"Because he's hurt?"

"Yes, sometimes when you get hurt severe enough your body needs time to heal and it does its best work while you're sleeping."

"Why?"

"Um…" Alice bit her lower lip as she thought, "I… it's like when you were trying to read and walk at the same time, do you remember?"

"It was hard."

"Yes, but it's much easier to read sitting still, right?"

"Right."

Alice smoothed Anna's hair back from her face with a smile, "When you're sleeping and hurt, your body can focus all of its energy into helping you heal instead of also having to concentrate on moving or reading or talking."

"Oh… so is he going to sleep for a long time?"

"We don't know, my dear girl," Alice kissed her daughter's forehead. "Each person is different, but Uncle Lucien is healthy so he should recover fairly quickly."

"Good."

"It is," Jean watched her kiss Anna's forehead again, "but now we've got to be quiet to let him sleep."

Anna brought her finger to her lips in a shushing motion and Jean had to smile. As Alice made herself comfortable in the chair next to her - Anna slowly drifting off as they kept vigil by Lucien's bedside - Jean trailed her fingertips up and down Lucien's forearm, thankful she wasn't alone at his bedside, and thankful that Lucien was alive.

Time passed slowly, each minute felt like an hour as she waited for Lucien to wake. Anna woke at one point and Alice whispered to Jean that they'd be right back and left for a bathroom break. She didn't know how long she sat there waiting - the Harveys returning just as Lucien stirred; a weight lifted off of her shoulders and heart when her husband groaned softly.

"Lucien?" Jean caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers and she gave him a shaky smile when his blue eyes opened.

"Ah…" his gaze trailed from her to Anna (clutching her beloved teddy bear) and then up to Alice standing at the foot of the bed behind Anna.

"I've missed dinner, haven't I?"

Trust him to make light of the situation, Jean mused as she let out a light laugh.

"It'll keep." She stroked his cheek again. "I'd ask how you're feeling, but I already have an inkling."

Lucien quirked a smile, "Yes… I imagine you do."

"Lucien, what on Earth were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I could talk my way out of it… clearly that didn't work."

"Lucien, I have to ask," Alice spoke up - her hands on Anna's shoulders. "You knew you'd suffered a tension pneumothorax, but you released the pressure on your heart using your  _own pen_  as a chest drain tube."

Lucien gave her a wry smile. "I had to improvise, Alice."

She laughed; her eyes lit up in that now familiar thirst for knowledge that normally Jean indulged, but once Alice got started it was hard to get her to stop and Jean wanted Lucien to rest.

"Well, I have a lot of questions!"

Jean whirled around and gave her friend the firmest look - the look that even  _Jack_  listened to - and when Alice deflated a bit, Jean felt satisfied that it still worked. She loved Alice and that inquisitive mind of hers, but now was  _not_  the time.

"...which can wait," Alice finished meekly. Reaching down to grasp Anna's hand, Alice bit her lower lip and cleared her throat, "Feel better, Lucien."

"Wait, Mumma!" Anna pulled on Alice's hand as the pathologist tried to beat a hasty retreat from the hospital room.

Alice leaned down so her daughter could whisper a question in her ear, nodding as the girl finished, "Ask Auntie Jean."

Jean raised an eyebrow when the girl walked over to her side, "Yes, Anna?"

"May I say goodnight to Uncle Lucien?"

Anna flashed those big blue eyes of hers at Jean and she relented with a smile, "Yes, of course."

Lifting the girl up onto Lucien's bed, Jean's smile widened when Anna gently wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. "Goodnight, Uncle Lucien."

"Goodnight, Anna, be good for your mum, alright?"

Anna nodded and kissed his cheek as neatly as a five year old could. She handed him her bear, "Goose can stay with you so you don't get scared."

Lucien smiled and hugged her one more time - her bear firmly tucked under his elbow, "Thank you, Anna, I'll make sure Goose comes back to you."

Anna smiled back and hopped down from the bed with help from Jean. Practically skipping to her mother's side, Lucien and Jean waved goodbye to the Harveys as they left.

They'd barely left the doorway when Lucien and Jean heard Anna's high-pitched voice, "Mumma, what's a ' _tension new-mo-thor-ix_ '?"

Lucien chuckled and winced as they heard Alice gently correct her daughter before she dove into a detailed description - her voice fading as they walked further away from the hospital room.

"She's never satisfied."

"Anna? Or Alice?" Lucien suggested with a cheeky grin.

"Both, honestly." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "You scared me, Lucien."

"I know… and I'm sorry, my darling."

"Are you, Lucien, are you really?"

Jean didn't want to be sharp with him - she knew her husband, knew the kind of man he was, and this wouldn't be the last time she'd be at his bedside or feel the sharp slice of a stabbing or see bruises appear on her own skin. But this time had  _truly_  scared her, this time she wondered if it would be the last time she felt his mark.

He had the decency to look ashamed even as he grasped her hand tightly. "Jean… I really truly am sorry for causing you pain. I didn't… I just didn't think it would get that far."

"I know you, Lucien, I know what you're like. I understand that you have to do what you do in order to find answers and seek justice for the victims - I get that. All I am asking you is for you to be  _careful_ and to  _think_."

"I promise to try."

"You'd better," she kissed his forehead. "Or I'll finish you off myself next time."

* * *

Alice slowed down to accommodate Anna's smaller stride as she answered all of her daughter's questions.

"Tired?" she asked when Anna yawned mid-question.

"Nuh-uh," Anna insisted - even as she yawned again.

Alice hummed disbelievingly with a fond smile and stopped to pick up her daughter into her arms. "Let's go find Matthew and then go home to bed, hm?"

"Okay, Mumma."

"That was very nice of you to let Uncle Lucien have Goose, Anna."

"I don't want him to be scared, Mumma. A tension pneumothorax sounds scary."

Alice smiled into Anna's hair as her daughter eagerly used the new words she'd learned, as well as the generosity of her daughter's heart. Though she still had doubts about being what Anna needed, Alice knew both of them were on the right track. Holding her close, Alice looked up to see Charlie walking towards them.

"Doc," he touched the brim of his hat with a smile. "Miss Anna."

"Hi, Charlie," Anna waved sleepily as her mother smiled.

"Good evening, Charlie. Is the Superintendent here with you?" Alice asked.

"Nah, he's busy with paperwork at the station, Doc. I'm just on my way to the inform the Blakes that Percy Walker confessed to everything."

"That's good," Alice nodded. "Will you go back home afterwards, or…?"

"I'll return to the station, see if the Boss has anything he wants me to do."

"I'll try to make sure he doesn't keep all of you too late."

Charlie smiled, "Thanks for that, Doc. Have a good night and I'll make sure to be quiet when I come in later."

"Thank you, Charlie. Goodnight."

Anna mumbled her own goodbye as Alice continued on her way out of the hospital. It wasn't a long walk from the hospital to the station - even with a tuckered out five year old in her arms (Anna was almost getting too big for this) - and the weather was nice, so Alice didn't mind the bit of exercise.

Not many people were in the police station when she entered; Constable Simmons nodded with a smile as she passed the front desk and headed to the bullpen. Matthew sat at his desk, bathed in the golden light of his desk lamp as he whiled away at the paperwork in front of him; she smiled and approached slowly - her smile widening when he looked up at her footsteps.

"Ah," he set down his pen and stood, rounding the desk as she slowed to a stop. "You're out late."

"I wanted to check in with you before I put Anna to bed."

"I'm fine," Matthew's familiar frown softened as he tucked Anna's hair behind her ear - soothing the girl when she stirred in Alice's arms. "Just finishing up some paperwork with the Armstrong case. You?"

"Lucien's awake, he'll be in the hospital for a bit before Jean can bring him home. Anna was getting tired so I left."

He smiled and gave her a knowing look, "She wouldn't let you ask questions about the pen and chest drain tube, would she?"

Alice felt her cheeks grow warm as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "No, she wouldn't. It's alright, Lucien does need to rest."

"Yeah, you can always write them down and ask later, sweetheart."

She chuckled, "Now that's an idea. I'm going home, and putting Anna to bed. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't."

"And don't make the rest of them stay too late either."

Matthew smiled and tilted her chin up for a soft kiss, "I won't, I promise."

"Good. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart," he kissed her again and then pressed a kiss to the side of Anna's head as the girl slept. "Sergeant Hobart."

"Yes, Boss?" the man asked as he entered the bullpen - shifting from foot to foot as he realized the intimate scene he'd walked into.

"Could you drive Dr. Harvey and her daughter home? I know you can walk there, Alice, I'd just…"

She patted his cheek with a smile, "I know. My arms are getting tired anyways, so I'll be thankful for the ride."

"Good. I'll be quiet when I come in," Matthew kissed her one last time, smiling when she pulled back.

Alice smiled back and followed Hobart out of the station - soothing Anna whenever she stirred on the way back home. The sergeant helped her through the front door and bid her goodnight once she cleared the threshold. It was odd to be in the Blakes' house alone - the house seemingly so much bigger when empty - and Alice caught herself jumping at odd sounds while she woke Anna up enough to change and get ready for bed. Her daughter was back asleep before Alice even finished tucking her in.

Pressing a kiss to Anna's forehead, she smiled. "Sweet dreams, my dear girl. I love you."

Quietly, Alice crept from the room (leaving the door open by just a crack, and the hallway light on as well) and went through her bedtime routine. Her makeup gone, face washed, and teeth brushed, she settled on the couch in her pajamas and robe with a book as she waited for the rest of the household to return.

* * *

"Good night, Charlie, splendid work today," Matthew patted his second in command on the shoulder as they both entered 7 Mycroft Avenue a couple hours after Lucien woke up in the hospital.

"Thanks, Boss."

"Take the morning tomorrow… or today, I guess. You've earned it."

Charlie smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Boss. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Matthew smiled back as Charlie crept down the hall and up the stairs. The lights were still on downstairs and Matthew turned them off as he walked towards his room - keen on changing out of his uniform and trying to sleep for a few hours before he returned to the station. He paused in the doorway to the parlor when he saw Alice curled up on the couch in her pajamas - her head in one hand, a book in the other.

"I thought you'd be sleeping," he called out to her softly, smiling when she jumped a bit.

"I'm tired, but my brain isn't," she smiled as he joined her on the couch. "How are you feeling, dearest?"

"Fine."

Alice gave him a disbelieving look as she moved closer to him, "You weren't at the hospital."

"Lucien didn't need me hovering, and I needed to go do my job."

"Matthew…"

"I just…" he sighed. "I can't… I can't see him like that, Alice."

"Like how?"

"In that bed like I was after my accident. I… hospitals and I don't really get along that well anymore. I just… I know how hard it was for him after my accident and I don't think I could have handled it the way he did. Jean doesn't need me blubbering over her husband anyways."

He let out a self-deprecating laugh that died fairly quickly in his throat at the mixture of sadness and understanding on Alice's face. Matthew rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh, "I couldn't go back there, sweetheart. I didn't want to go see Lucien at the hospital because I felt sick to my stomach over what happened and being there… with all the smells and the sounds and the uncertainty… it'd be too much for me."

Alice leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Okay." she kissed it again and pulled him into her arms. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded, "I understand, Matthew."

Matthew sagged against her as she held him tight, "What's the world coming to, Alice? I mean, yes, Lucien's reckless, but it just… everything seems rougher somehow. Is it me just getting old or is the world actually going mad?"

"If you're old, then I am too," Alice teased a snort of laughter out of him. "I don't know, Matthew."

"Why even bother then?"

Alice's arms slid from his shoulders and she reached down for his hand; kissing the back of it, she stood and pulled him up from the couch. Matthew followed her as she led him to the stairs and slowly, quietly they ascended to the second floor, down the hall to Anna's room. Pushing the door open so he could look in, Alice pulled him close.

"This, Matthew," Alice nodded to her sleeping daughter - the girl he loved like she was his own child. "This is why we bother, this is why we go on, why we take risks - so she won't have to in the future."

He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him for a kiss, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Alice Harvey."

"Be a bigger grump," Alice kissed him as he laughed softly. "I'm always going to be here for you, Matthew Lawson."

"Good."

Alice kissed him again and led him back downstairs after he'd whispered a goodnight to Anna - kissing her forehead and pulling her covers back up over her. As he changed into his own pajamas, she sat on his bed and fiddled with the belt of her robe.

"Something on your mind?" He asked as he hung up his uniform for tomorrow.

"I have some good news, I think, I was going to tell you after dinner tonight, but…"

"Yeah," he nodded. "What is it?"

Pulling on his hand so he sat next to her on the bed, Alice dug into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a sheet of paper. She bit her lip and handed it over to him.

"It's… it's a house," Alice explained as he read it over. "With enough room for me to have an office and library, for Anna to have her own room and to grow up in… it's got a wonderful yard for her to play in and a garden to grow, and it's not that far from here. I put in an offer this morning."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart," Matthew smiled. "You've found your home."

She nodded, still biting her lip and he felt that familiar hotspot flare up on the inside of his mouth.

"Alice."

"What?"

"Stop worrying," Matthew trailed his thumb across her bottom lip and grinned when she ducked her head with a smile. "What is it?"

"It just… it almost seems too good to be true. I want this house, Matthew. I want it for me, for Anna… I want a home that I haven't had… in my entire life, I think."

"You've found it, it's right here, Alice," he lifted the advertisement up. "If it's financial difficulties you're worried about, I'll be willing to help. Or the Blakes would."

"Money's not an issue," she smiled, "it's more the worry that the rug will be pulled out from under me about all of it, but… since I was hoping you'd… eventually come stay with us at the house, it makes sense for you to help out financially."

He blinked and looked at her in surprise, "You want me to move into your house?"

" _Our_  house, Matthew, our  _home_ …" Alice grasped his hands in hers, "If you'll have me and Anna, that is?"

He grinned and pulled her in for a kiss, "Oh, always, Alice. Always."

Alice smiled against his lips as she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back; joy fizzed in his veins like tiny bubbles of champagne as Matthew softly pushed her down onto the bed while they traded soft kisses and conversation about the plans for the house - their  _home_.

_Fin_


End file.
